WRITTEN BY admin
If you’re up snow creek without a shovel, you might be in for some trouble! Maybe you’re caught unprepared for the winter, live in an area that normally doesn’t see snowfall accumulate, just moved and forgot to buy one, or you had one and it broke or got lost, there’s a few options to clear your driveway so you can run to the hardware store and buy a proper tool for the job!
1. Leaf Blower
If the snowfall is light and fluffy, break out that leaf blower. Yes, if the snow isn’t packed or frozen together, those little flakes can be blown out of your way with ease, however this only works for a small amount in the right conditions.
2. Cardboard box
You’re neighbors may judge you if they see it more than once, but who’s outside when it’s cold enough for snow anyways. You can take a large cardboard box and fold it flat. If it’s big enough where you don’t need to completely open it, the double layer works best to handle the heavy stuff.
3. Not a Flamethrower
We’re not recommending you try this one at home, but we’ve seen some mad snow scientists break out their Boring tool, or even a simple propane roofing torch or weed burner to tackle the snow and ice. Does it work? Not quickly since you’re battling the cold it will take some time to melt everything in your way, and it’s not the safest thing so it’s not something we can recommend. Do not try this at home.
4. Broom
If you have a large contractors push broom in your garage, it can help clear the light stuff on top a few inches at a time. For anything frozen underneath, you’ll likely need to spread a generous amount of rock salt to keep that pathway safe and ice-free.
None of these methods are even close to how efficient a proper snow shovel is, however drastic times call for ingenuity. In all seriousness, be prepares and buy a snow shovel (and a spare) to keep somewhere inside just in case you need it. No one wants to be stuck inside because Jack Frost caught them off guard. If you do try one of these methods, do so safely and carefully as injuries can be common when the conditions are bad, even with a proper tool. Read more about snow shoveling injuries here.
Know of any other creative methods you’ve seen or tried? Let us know how it went and we can add it to our list; just shoot us an email at [email protected] with the subject “Snow Blog Attn: Stephen” and we’ll take a look!
