- What to do before the snow falls<\/a><\/li>
- Dress for the cold<\/a><\/li>
- Apply ice melt<\/a><\/li>
- Use sand or kitty litter for tire traction<\/a><\/li>
- General snow removal tips<\/a><\/li>
- DIY or Hire a Pro for Snow Removal?<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
Here’s what you’ll need:<\/p>
- Shovel<\/strong> (see our Best Snow Shovels<\/a>)<\/li>
- Snow blower<\/strong> (see our Best Snow Blowers<\/a>)<\/li>
- Have a snow removal pro<\/strong> lined up (we connect you to the best snow removal pros near you<\/a>).<\/li>
- Broom with a long handle<\/strong><\/li>
- Hairdryer and extension cord<\/strong> (to unfreeze car doors)<\/li>
- Snow shoveling clothing<\/strong> (see laundry list below)<\/li>
- Ice melt<\/strong> (see our DIY ice melt recipe to make your own)<\/li>
- Tarp<\/strong> (to remove snow if you don\u2019t have a shovel)<\/li>
- Sand or kitty litter <\/strong>(for traction when moving your vehicle)<\/li>
- Food and water<\/strong> (if you\u2019re snowbound for a few days or more)<\/li> <\/ul>
What to do before the snow falls<\/span><\/h2>
![\"windshield](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Windshield-wipers.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Africa images<\/a> | Canva Pro | License<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> Windshield wipers: <\/strong>The night before the snow, pull your car\u2019s windshield wipers in an upright position \u2013 standing straight up. This prevents your wipers from freezing onto your windshield. <\/p>
Hairdryer for car doors:<\/strong> Your car doors may be frozen shut with ice before, during, or after the snow storm. Blow the air from the hairdryer into the car door\u2019s keyholes to melt the ice. (You\u2019ll need an extension cord for the hairdryer to reach your car doors.)<\/p>
Dress for the cold<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>
![\"kids](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/winter-clothing.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Pexels<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> You need to wear clothing so that you can be outside in freezing conditions for more than 30 minutes without losing feeling from the cold temperatures. Your clothing should be insulated and waterproof if possible, or layer your clothing if you don\u2019t have any other options. You should have:<\/p>
- Snow pants<\/strong><\/li>
- Hat and\/or earmuffs<\/strong><\/li>
- Jacket<\/strong><\/li>
- Gloves:<\/strong> Good pair of waterproof, insulated gloves (your hands will get wet and freeze inside if you wear knitted or cloth gloves) <\/li>
- Snow boots:<\/strong> These should be insulated (you will get snow inside the tops of your boots and the melted snow against your skin will make your legs feel like they are freezing up.)<\/li> <\/ul>
Dress in layers:<\/strong> Mom was right. This will keep you warm. <\/p>
Apply ice melt<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>
Ice is next to impossible to shovel \u2013 you\u2019ll chip away at it forever. Apply an ice melt to break the bond between the pavement and ice. Remove the melting ice before it has a chance to refreeze. <\/p>
Note:<\/strong> There are some downsides to using traditional ice melt. Traditional ice melt can be dangerous to kids and pets \u2013 it can burn paws or cause upset stomachs. Oh, and rock salt can damage your lawn.<\/p>
Bonus:<\/strong> If you\u2019re the DIY type or want to forgo the downsides of traditional ice melt, you can make your own deicer by mixing together these three ingredients: <\/p>
- 1 half-gallon of warm water<\/li>
- 6 drops of dish soap<\/li>
- 1 ounce of rubbing alcohol<\/li> <\/ul>
Use sand or kitty litter for tire traction<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>
![\"tire](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/snow-tire-track.jpg\")
Photo Credit: matt<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY 2.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> If you need some traction for your car tires, you could grab some sand or kitty litter and place it by your car tires. These options will help the tires grip the pavement.<\/p>
Note:<\/strong> Both these options do come with a downside. Sand could end up in drainage areas, and kitty litter could leave a clumpy mess behind.<\/p>
Stock up on food and water<\/strong><\/p>
Major winter storms can shut down cities (see our ranking of the Snowiest Counties in the U.S.<\/a>), making it impossible to get to stores for food staples like bread and milk. And don\u2019t count on Instacart, Uber Eats, or other food and grocery delivery services to be able to get to you.<\/p>
What to do:<\/strong> Stock your pantry with canned goods and have fresh fruits on hand. If your power goes out, heating up canned goods on your stove or in your microwave won\u2019t work. <\/p>
Buy bottled water, too, to have some on hand in case pipes freeze. <\/p>
And candles, in case the power goes out for days. Maybe a generator, if you can afford it.<\/p>
Don\u2019t wait till the last minute to head to the supermarket. It will be a zoo. If the winter storm is forecast to be severe, bread shelves will be empty and bottled water supplies will have run dry. Stockpile your winter food and water supplies long before the first snow flurries fall. <\/p>
General snow removal tips<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>
![\"shoveling](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/remove-snow.jpg\")
Photo Credit: tab1962<\/a> | Canva Pro | License<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> - Shovel snow at regular intervals:<\/strong> Don\u2019t wait until the snowplow clears your street before you shovel the snow closest to your driveway. The more snow you get, the harder it is to clear paths. For example, you easily could get plowed in and won\u2019t be able to get your car out of your driveway.<\/li>
- Don\u2019t pile snow in one spot:<\/strong> Be mindful of where you pile your snow along your walkways, driveway, patios, and other areas (like dryer vents). As you shovel, avoid making piles. Instead, when you lift the snow disperse into several areas and not in a big pile. It will become icy as the sun melts the top.<\/li>
- Shovel a pathway to your car first: <\/strong>Before you get to work shoveling around your car, clear a walkable path toward your car. If you don\u2019t, you risk compacting the snow as you walk to and from the car, which will only make your job harder. (Remember, when cleaning snow off your car windows, etc., parts of your clothing will get wet from the snow falling off.)<\/li>
- Let your car help clear snow and windows: <\/strong>Turn on your car\u2019s defrosters and heater to help clear the snow off your windshield and windows.<\/li>
- Watch your heart: <\/strong>If you ever feel any pain, stop right away.<\/li> <\/ul>
For more snow removal tips, see our article on How to Remove Snow Safely<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>
DIY or Hire a Pro for Snow Removal?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>
What do you do if the snowstorm hits and you don\u2019t have a shovel? We\u2019ve got you covered. Lawn Love puts the best snow removal pros near you<\/a> at your fingertips. With a few clicks, you\u2019ll get quotes in minutes. <\/p>
Main Image Credit: Snowblower: tacojim<\/a> | Canva Pro | License<\/a>, Backpack blower: constantgardener<\/a> | Canva Pro | License<\/a>, Snow shovel: wuviveka<\/a> | Canva Pro | License<\/a>, created using Canva Pro<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Our winter storm checklist details what to do ahead of the snow and ice: Tools you need, clothes to wear, food to stockpile, and much more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":20901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[524],"tags":[140],"class_list":["post-20894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-snow-removal","tag-snow-removal"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/snow-removal-1-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Harley Grandone","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/harley-grandone\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20894\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Don\u2019t pile snow in one spot:<\/strong> Be mindful of where you pile your snow along your walkways, driveway, patios, and other areas (like dryer vents). As you shovel, avoid making piles. Instead, when you lift the snow disperse into several areas and not in a big pile. It will become icy as the sun melts the top.<\/li>
- Shovel snow at regular intervals:<\/strong> Don\u2019t wait until the snowplow clears your street before you shovel the snow closest to your driveway. The more snow you get, the harder it is to clear paths. For example, you easily could get plowed in and won\u2019t be able to get your car out of your driveway.<\/li>
- Hat and\/or earmuffs<\/strong><\/li>
- Snow blower<\/strong> (see our Best Snow Blowers<\/a>)<\/li>
- Dress for the cold<\/a><\/li>