It may not look like much, but this is a deadly hazard.
We tried clearing our driveway, but this stuff is wet, thick, and slushy, and it totally choked our snow blower. We could push forward maybe 2 meters before the snow blower froze up solid with ice and slush that it didn’t have enough power to push out. We ended up doing it old school, with snow shovels, but even that was impractical — the snow was so dense and sticky that it stuck to the snow shovel blade, and the shovel would just get heavier and heavier. We finally gave up, with the driveway incompletely clear, but it’s all we could do.
My wife was told last night to call the sheriff’s department in the morning, and make arrangements to have our car towed home, but unsurprisingly, we can’t get through. I suspect the town is dealing with real emergencies today, so I’m not going to push. We’ll get it back when we get it back.
Right now I’m sitting back with a hot cup of tea and watching my wife trying to scrape away a little more ice and snow. Get back in here, Mary, this is dangerous slop!
Ugh – wet, slushy snow is the worst kind. My condolences.
Dear PZ, please ignore all the inane ‘me too’ remarks on your other two snow articles and focus on keeping Mary and yourself safe. Your headline says it all.
You haven’t mentioned it lately that I recall, but how is your knee situation now? Are you more ambulatory hopefully?
That’s why, some years ago now, we sold the snowblower and hired a service that has big-ass machines (basically a backhoe with the appropriate attachment). Now all I have to do is push the sidewalk snow out onto the driveway, which at 68, and with chronic back issues, is probably all I should be doing.
Yup. I really wish I didn’t have to clear 200 feet of city sidewalk covered in slush and snow crust. I dislike this aspect of urban life. I rarely use the sidewalks but I’m required to maintain them and keep the hydrant clear after the city plows bury it.
“Walkin’ in a winter wonderland…”
“I got yer winter wonderland right here pal…”
Lasers.
I looked at your forecast, and you are not expected to go above freezing for at least a week. That wet slushy stuff should set up soon. No easy solution.
Knees: they’re functional, but limited. I can get around OK, but any time I over-exert (like by going up stairs, I hate stairs right now) I get nasty pains. So not going hiking for a while.
When I have to shift heavy snow (whether its wet or frozen solid), I use a garden shovel. It takes longer, but it reduces the risk of strain.
Do you have a cup of something hot ready for Mary when she comes in?
Stay safe!
This sounds like a get someone else to do it thing.
No youngsters from the university to hire, or give extra credit? Or are they keeping you too poor for this solution? :(
I just finished clearing all the sidewalks and the driveway. The ground isn’t frozen so it wasn’t too difficult to scrape off the 1/2 inch of ice topped with crusty snow, and snowplow it onto the boulevards.
I’ve read that, for sticky snow, you can spray WD-40 on the blade. My method is to tip the loaded shovel over and knock the snow off. For heavy snow, I just pick up half a shovel load. And break every 20 minutes or so because aching back.
There’s the rubbing alcohol trick: fill a bucket with hot water, pour in a bottle of rubbing alcohol from the grocery store: they sell 71% and 90%, 90% works better. Then, splash the stuff around some places you want to clear.
Rubbing alcohol lowers the freezing temperature of water just like salt does, and, if you wait for a while, the snow and ice gets all wet and slushy and dissolved, can often just be scraped like thin slush. (The hot water doesn’t hurt either.)
But this is easier for front steps or a front walkway or a single car tire that’s stuck in ice or just the top part of the driveway (works like a charm for freezing rain) Seems like it’d be difficult for a whole driveway. So, you relax!
1) A good old fashioned plow is better than a blower for this wet sticky stuff.
2) For this much snow, you need a self-powered system, not shovels.
3) It doesn’t have to be autonomous. Remote control, or even walk-behind would serve the purpose.
Something like this:
AIWEIYA Crawler Remote Control Lawnmower with Push Shovel Snow Removal Weed Eater Robot for Various
I’m not sure whether there is a real, obtainable equivalent available in the USA. And battery-powered would be better than the gas/battery hybrid described. There are some robotic lawn mowers with snow removal available(e.g. Yarbo) but they seem to prefer snow blowers to simple plow blades.
They do make propane torches to be used for snow melting. Not that I recommend it, it sounds like something which could get out of hand quickly, and probably eats up a lot of propane (they also sell a backpack carrier for the standard size propane tanks, which should tell you something). Lookup Flame King sometime.
@16 flex
The Vikings used to have a flame thrower to clear the yard markers back when they played outdoors in Metropolitan Stadium. I don’t think it worked very well, but think of the psychological impact on visiting teams!
Roads blocked by snow… Beware of being awakened by someone crying REDRAM! REDRAM! followed by the sound of an axe hitting your closed door.
I WILL EXTERMINATE THE SNOW!
ZZZZZZZZAPP!!! EXTERMINATE!
‘They do make propane torches to be used for snow melting.’
Yes. Basically, flamethrowers. A wonderful use of fossil fuel!
That stuff ain’t synthesised, it’s either from gas or oil from the ground.
—
I suppose not quite as sybaritic as outdoor heaters, so there’s that.
C. M. Kornbluth never got to write the novels that he felt would be his legacy.
When I see a thick pile of damp snow on my driveway, I remember this.
William Hyde
Turning the snow into water is a great way to turn your paved areas into ice rinks. The forecast for the next week has daily highs that aren’t much above freezing.
cars are so impractical in snow and ice. mary needs a yak.
also:
https://what-if.xkcd.com/130/
mind your knees.
We had a similar situation back when I was a kid. Snowblower kept getting gummed up with slush so we had to resort to shovels. Thick, wet, heavy stuff. My joints ache whenever I remember it.
@ 18
Just keep away from room 237, Danny.
We got the car towed out of a snowbank, and delivered to our driveway. Battery was dead, but the auto tow people jumped it for us; they also shoveled out the end of the driveway. Yay! Back to normal!
Snowy conditions wipe out semi trucks on Minnesota highway
Yay for the auto tow people!
@ 23. moxie : “Cars are so impractical in snow and ice. Mary needs a yak.
I presume you refer to the wooly mammal and not the Aussie slang term for vomit there!
Not so sure the USoA has many domesticated or rideable Yaks around handy for folks or that ownership of them works out there.. Are they really beast of burden as such?
Seems like the snow is sticking around and not going away fro a few days?
Lessee. hmm. :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yak#Husbandry
Turns out they are!
Last time I shoveled snow like that the end result was shoulder surgery. Go carefully with that shit.
My grandfather died, aged 60, shoveling snow in Sioux Falls. (He had a sedentary job).
I’m not likely to die that way. The temperature range here in far Northern California (on the coast) is (checks phone) a high of 63 F and a low of 43 F (overnight) for the next week. And I walk 6-10 miles a day (or more). (I’m 65) and THANKFUL for my health and life situation every day.