Plow now or wait?

   / Plow now or wait? #1  

MossyDell

Silver Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2002
Messages
231
Location
southwestern Virginia
Tractor
B2601 (2021) B6100E (1988) B2100 (1991) JD970 (1998)
We are getting heavy snow now in SW VA. Snow is really piling up.

Then we are supposed to get "heavy freezing rain" at 4 p.m., then back to snow.

What do you all think of this strategy: let it pile up and wait till 5 p.m. to plow?

Hard to see it keep piling up, but if I go out and plow before the ice, I fear it will be harder to get rid of ice than if I can push most of it as snow.
 
   / Plow now or wait? #2  
If you only have a plow, you will be kicking yourself if you let it build up. I did the same thing our first storm. I just got a new RTV1100 with a Boss vee plow and our first storm was that heavy wet snow mixed with rain. I waited until there was over a foot before I went out to plow and I ended up having to get the tractor and blower out.
But in cold powder snow the RTV will plow over a foot no problem.

Any way you look at it, that wet snow/freezing rain makes a real mess.
 
   / Plow now or wait? #3  
If you had a blower, I'd say wait until it's all over. Since you are plowing, like Paystar said, get out there and get it done now.
 
   / Plow now or wait? #4  
My preference is to let the icy stuff accumulate atop the snow... I use a PTO driven snow blower for the drive and will easily handle deep snow
That said, my walk-behind snow blower (not self-propelled) used for the walks won't do so well if we get the maximum forecast (12"-13"). I expect to get out a couple times during the storm...normally 4-6 inches, depending on how wet the snow is
 
   / Plow now or wait? #5  
Depends on what you are plowing with. If it’s big enough, wait till it’s over. I have found that removing snow before freezing rain just allows the freezing rain to turn pavement into a sheet of ice.
If you leave the accumulated snow and let the ice sit atop the snow, it’ll plow away with snow and you should have better traction.
Im using a large tractor, so it’s easy for me.
One time we had a situation like yours. I plowed after the snow fell, then we got a heavy dose of sleet and the driveways were a mess with ice.
 
   / Plow now or wait? #6  
my brother in law learned about waiting it out with a plow, it required a d3 dozer, when it was all said in done.

Blowers can get through anything, but are slow.

Plows work by weight and speed, multiple inches of snow with ice on top? yea I would be plowing at 4-6 inches depending on the snow type and plow.
 
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   / Plow now or wait?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
So now I am really confused!

I am a Florida boy and using a plow for the first time. Last snow, what happened was bad. Got a few inches of nice fluffy snow. Next day was bitterly cold and we had the grandkids. And The Wife barked at me about leaving her.

When I went out the next day, were icy patches underneath. The worst was on our steepest curve that turns toward the house, where trucks have trouble in much less.

So I got out there manually spreading deicer. And started to slide. Ran-leaped to narrow grassy shoulder beside driveway above ravine. made it! But I couldn’t stop running—gravity had me!

I fell and rolled and knocked snot out of myself. Limped for two weeks.
 
   / Plow now or wait?
  • Thread Starter
#8  
We will have at least 4 inches by the time the freezing rain hits, if that info helps.
 
   / Plow now or wait? #9  
the higher the snow, the more you have to sometimes "make a run at it" this is not newbie advice, if your worried about ice underneath. set the skids to leave about an inch on the ground, if you can't scrape or sand it clean.
 
   / Plow now or wait? #10  
So now I am really confused!

I am a Florida boy and using a plow for the first time. Last snow, what happened was bad. Got a few inches of nice fluffy snow. Next day was bitterly cold and we had the grandkids. And The Wife barked at me about leaving her.

When I went out the next day, were icy patches underneath. The worst was on our steepest curve that turns toward the house, where trucks have trouble in much less.

So I got out there manually spreading deicer. And started to slide. Ran-leaped to narrow grassy shoulder beside driveway above ravine. made it! But I couldn’t stop running—gravity had me!

I fell and rolled and knocked snot out of myself. Limped for two weeks.
The only way you could have ice under 4” of snow is if it rained before the snow, or the ground was warm enough to partially melt the accumulated snow, but that seems like a rare occurrence.
4” of snow with ice on top is a moderate removal snow event. You should be able to handle it.

Look at the snow falling before the ice as a “layer” to insulate the driveway from the ice. If you remove the “layer”, ice will fall on clean pavement. Then you will have to apply salt, sand, etc.
Makes a one plow job into a one plow and one salt/sand job.
More work & expense.

Also need to factor passage for emergency service. I don’t want to advise you to allow your driveway to become impassible, either. Use your judgement, your weather forecast and the capability of your equipment.
 
 
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