Plow now or wait?

[RoyJackson]

Also should have said my drive is asphalt and very steep. Hay Dude helped last time with advice to stay in 2WD on pavement and not plow while going uphill.

That is a very treacherous situation...
Although using 4WD on hard pavement isn't usually a good idea, I expect a snow or ice covered drive would provide enough slippage to minimize damage to the front axle. Plus, using 4WD does help in braking (just use a low enough gear to let the engine do most of the braking).
Make sure your ROPS is up and you're using your seatbelt

 

[Hay Dude]

Patience is a virtue here.
If disaster strikes and you get real heavy snow, you have a loader and bucket.
I could move 30” of snow with your rig.

 

[LouNY]

Myself I would wait till after the rain has stopped.
You mentioned steep and paved, I'm going to guess no chains.
I have a 1/4 mile of steep driveway, I also have 10,000 pounds of tractor with chains on the rear.
Wet packing snow or freezing rain will get a driveway iced up and slick,
that you will need chains to get up it.
Good luck.

 

[MossyDell]

That is a very treacherous situation...
Although using 4WD on hard pavement isn't usually a good idea, I expect a snow or ice covered drive would provide enough slippage to minimize damage to the front axle. Plus, using 4WD does help in braking (just use a low enough gear to let the engine do most of the braking).
Make sure your ROPS is up and you're using your seatbelt

Yeah my plan is to use it before/as I plow going downhill. Then to drive back up over the plowed area in 2WD.

the problem I was having that Hay Dude addressed was losing steering control while plowing uphill in 4WD on basically cleaned pavement.

 

[MossyDell]

Myself I would wait till after the rain has stopped.
You mentioned steep and paved, I'm going to guess no chains.
I have a 1/4 mile of steep driveway, I also have 10,000 pounds of tractor with chains on the rear.
Wet packing snow or freezing rain will get a driveway iced up and slick,
that you will need chains to get up it.
Good luck.

Yep, no chains. They are rare here because heavy snow is rare. Or was. We'll have one snowy (for us) winter out of 3 or some such.

 

[Hay Dude]

Climate change!
Global cooling!

Just kiddin
Good luck, tell us how it goes and use all safety equipment!

 

[MossyDell]

I did deal with snow for 10 years in southern Ohio, a little snowier than here. All I had then was a hd Bush Hog brand box blade on my 33 hp tractor. So all snow work in reverse. Didn't bother me then but it seems beyond crazy now in my late 60s. But this is also why I have such a learning curve, never having used a front blade or even a rear blade.

 

[RoyJackson]

Yep, no chains. They are rare here because heavy snow is rare. Or was. We'll have one snowy (for us) winter out of 3 or some such.

Yeah, not surprising since Nor'Easters only hit every few years...different situation in northeast Virgina and West Virgina.
Probably be damn near impossible to get chains this late in the season anyway.

 

[Hay Dude]

We are getting a few inches of snow from 4-10PM, then ice from 11PM -12AM, then rain from 1AM - 8AM.
Ill be surprised if I ever even start the tractor.….
Probably a big mushy mess.

 

[ctgoldwing]

Not uncommon here in CT to get snow followed by rain followed by really cold temps. Our driveway is long and steep. I always wait for the end of the storm and final freeze before snow blowing.