To Clear...or not to Clear, that is the question

So I just pressed a cup of fresh ground dark roast coffee, and I'm sitting here looking out the window as the snow is falling. Right now we have about 12-14" on the ground, on top of the 2-3" we got yesterday. Forecast is calling for 6-8" more today and another 5-7" beyond that tonight. So, by my simple math this is a potential of about 29" of snow possible before tomorrow morning. And, it's cold...low teens. Now for the big dilemma of the season...

Should I start clearing the snow now, or wait until later? This question is not as straight forward as it may seem. You see, there's a catch. The same forecasts are also calling for some wind (upwards of 24mph) this afternoon and this evening. And our dilemma is not unique out here in the rural Rocky Mountain west. If you clear the snow too early, and then the wind picks up, the snow drifts in between the piles of snow you cleared making all the roads you cleared twice as deep (or more) to clear the next time. If the wind keeps up, this same concern continues to perpetuate itself until you are snowbound for days. The flip side of the coin is, if you let the snow get too deep in the first place it's considerably more difficult to clear because everything wants to get stuck. Unless, of course, I go and put chains on all the equipment...which is a royal PITA! Effective, but PITA none the less.

Already got all the cows down out of the pastures to their shelters, so they're all good. Got all the heaters out for the stock tanks and they're all connected.

So, as I sit here looking out the window, enjoying my coffee, I thought it was going to start letting up a bit, but now I see it is only snowing harder. At one point I could start to see the neighbor's house (or at least some of his lights) a mile or so away. Now I can barely see our out-building less than 400 yards away.

Time to go suit up I guess. Get all the equipment started and running, make sure everything is fueled. Then, I guess I'll go start setting up to chain everything up **sigh**. This is gonna' be 'fun' (in a demented sort of way).

I never clear snow or fallen leaves until they are all down. Why do it twice? Unless you just LOVE doing those things, the choice is clear.

originally posted by: Lazarus Short
I never clear snow or fallen leaves until they are all down. Why do it twice? Unless you just LOVE doing those things, the choice is clear.

Unless your city requires you to clear them both...and your grass no longer than 6"...or be fined and they'll do it for you...and charge you

PS: I got a cottage 200 miles north in a National Forest. Leaves? Grass? Snow? HA! No f'in way!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

29 inches of snow by morning? Crazy!
I am hoping we don’t get 29 inches of snow for the entire winter here.
I am on vacation this week and it is 58 degrees and sunny here right now and I am getting ready to jump on my Harley and go for a ride.
Good luck FCD.

Let it snow.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I usually let the wind answer that question.

If it's blowing hard the snow just drifts back in so I wait till it's stopped.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

You need more cattle.
More cattle farts to be specific.
That will speed up the global warming.
Then no more snow.
I am looking forward to growing tropical fruits in my temperate climate.

Having lived half my life in Minnesota, I always paid to have everything plowed. If you wait til more snow falls or drifts, it will be twice as hard.

It's giving me PTSD reading your posts. It'll be in the 80's today and 70s tonight here on the Gulf. Be thinking of ya.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

"City"??? LOL! We don' live in no steenking city!

We live so far from the city they wouldn't even know how to find us, let alone tell us when to plow the snow on our road! The nearest County maintained road is several miles away. Between us and them is where all the 'fun' is.

a reply to: Lazarus Short

Sage advice, as a general rule. However, we have one elderly gentleman who lives down the road about a mile from here who is in poor health. Maintaining Emergency Services access is a consideration. Also, in case of fire.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Didn't you say you do military work? Get the boys to point some lazer satellites or chuck a few tons of napalm over.

Easy peasy

a reply to: butcherguy
Ooooh, that's not very nice, you'll have Greta having a heart attack.
FCD, as long as you can get to look after your animals I would sit in the warm and watch it come down. That' is of course if you and the good lady have stocked up with the goods.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Not sure I'd want them targeting us with either of those, frankly.

I'll shovel, blow and plow snow.

a reply to: crayzeed

Yeah, we're set for supplies. Could probably go a year or more I'd guess (without having to bother the animals any).

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
If the cattle is OK and you're OK, hunker down watch it come and watch it go. You haven't actually said why you have to clear the snow?

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: mysterioustranger

"City"??? LOL! We don' live in no steenking city!

We live so far from the city they wouldn't even know how to find us, let alone tell us when to plow the snow on our road! The nearest County maintained road is several miles away. Between us and them is where all the 'fun' is.

Of course FCD! I know you're somewhere out in God's lands...Again..'tween us both? Dearborn, Delray, Detroit...ain't nowhere near ya! (MS sulks away in envy...)

Starting to look like the Overlook Hotel up here now!

I just hope we don't run into any twins, or some kid on a Big-Wheel chanting 'RED-RUM...RED-RUM...RED-RUM'!

originally posted by: RazorV66
a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

29 inches of snow by morning? Crazy!
I am hoping we don’t get 29 inches of snow for the entire winter here.
I am on vacation this week and it is 58 degrees and sunny here right now and I am getting ready to jump on my Harley and go for a ride.
Good luck FCD.

One thing I know about Michigan, at least the middle of the mitten, we never get enough snow in the winter. Central Michigan is a bowl so it gets all the cold, little of the snow. You can even watch storms separate and go around us, then re-join near the water again. I don't mind that but if it's going to be cold I'd rather have feet of snow than inches.

a reply to: HalWesten

Yeah, I grew up in SW Wyoming, and the snow would do the same thing. It would dump on SLC and then split, half going up over central and northern WY (Jackson Hole), and the other half going south over Northwestern Colorado. Both sides would warm up and just dump untold amounts of snow, and we'd be left with the cold (-30F's)...and the wind.