# When is the best time to go out during a snowstorm



## MontanoPlow (Dec 12, 2013)

Hi All,

Here is my newbie question:

When is the best time to go out and start plowing if you are expecting 15cm?
How about 25cm?

Basically to avoid going more than 3 or 4 times to the same place. 

Thanks for the advice.


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## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

Hmmmmmm--I've never plowed in cm's,only in inches,feet,LOFS[use your imagination],etc.For your older and old school members to the South of you like me,you want to re phrase your question in ''English'' ?


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## gc3 (Dec 6, 2007)

Normally I plow with the storm. You don't want to get in over your head and have to much at once that your trying to move. You also need to know what your plow and vehicle can handle. Once you try a few different snow situations you'll have a feel for what's best for you and your equipment.


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

Sometimes I wait till it's ended, sometimes I plow during storm if it's during business hours, sometimes I plow with the storm, sometimes I plow it quickly before it melts off, sometimes I pre salt and don't have to plow, sometimes I salt during storm to avoid hard pack,If it's snowing overnight into the next day I start no later than 4 am, very complicated! Today I'm doing plan A today, got 2" going to wait till 11 pm and knock it off all at once, most businesses closed today and the ones that aren't can just man up!


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## MontanoPlow (Dec 12, 2013)

Sure, I'll rephrase my question in English, lol

We are expecting about 6 inches of snow, starting this evening and ending tomorrow morning, early afternoon.

I have a Ford F250 7.3 powerstroke diesel with an 8ft Meyer plow.

We only plow residential driveways and we don't salt.

Thanks again


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## Banksy (Aug 31, 2005)

I think you can wait to the end of the storm if that's all you're getting. Even if it's heavy snow, it's still easily doable with your truck. If you charge by the push and have trigger amounts, that may mean plow twice. I'd probabaly wait to the end for that one if it's a flat charge. And it may depend on when it falls for your customers to get out and all that. There is no concrete time. Welcome to plowing.


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

I would do it at 3 or 4 and then after it is over. If I waited until it was all done it would be all driven on and packed down. Plus I would rather do 3 two times than 6 once. But to each his own.


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## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

Banksy;1684478 said:


> I think you can wait to the end of the storm if that's all you're getting. Even if it's heavy snow, it's still easily doable with your truck. If you charge by the push and have trigger amounts, that may mean plow twice. I'd probabaly wait to the end for that one if it's a flat charge. And it may depend on when it falls for your customers to get out and all that. There is no concrete time. Welcome to plowing.


X2---my snowmobiling club is going up your way in Feb. I think the name of the hotel is the Central Hotel in Quebec.Is it fairly safe from the sled and trailer thieves we hear about? I heard the best of locks mean nothing up there,guys carry cordless sawzalls and will cut right through an aluminum A frame.


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## Billious (Sep 21, 2010)

maxwellp;1684481 said:


> I would do it at 3 or 4 and then after it is over. If I waited until it was all done it would be all driven on and packed down. Plus I would rather do 3 two times than 6 once. But to each his own.


I think that advice holds true IF you have a tight route. If you're all over the place (like people new to the business often are), you introduce a huge inefficiency driving your entire route multiple times.

I think the real key is the customer experience, tied in with the billing setup you have with them. Since I do "tiered" billing, if it's 6" and I don't have to worry about homeowners spazzing in the morning, I'd wait til it's done (or close enough to done that the salt will clean up the rest). But if the snow starts at like 2am, and isn't going to finish until 9 or 10am, a "opening pass" to minimize homeowners inconvenience in the AM is totally the way to go.


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## dellwas (Oct 16, 2005)

Why would he do that? The u.s. is the only country in the world that uses standard measurements. Yup, old school for sure, now learn to adapt!



tuney443;1684437 said:


> Hmmmmmm--I've never plowed in cm's,only in inches,feet,LOFS[use your imagination],etc.For your older and old school members to the South of you like me,you want to re phrase your question in ''English'' ?


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

"I think that advice holds true IF you have a tight route"

You are very correct, I should have put that in there also. My route is, 50% are under a minute and the rest are under 10 mins round trip with the accounts on the way and that is with snow on the roads.


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## Billious (Sep 21, 2010)

maxwellp;1684760 said:


> "I think that advice holds true IF you have a tight route"
> 
> You are very correct, I should have put that in there also. My route is, 50% are under a minute and the rest are under 10 mins round trip with the accounts on the way and that is with snow on the roads.


Given that you're in the area, you'll know what I mean when I say my route looks like "Fitchburg - Near West - Maple Bluff - Atwood - Monona"... less than optimal for running laps.


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## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

dellwas;1684720 said:


> Why would he do that? The u.s. is the only country in the world that uses standard measurements. Yup, old school for sure, now learn to adapt!


Lighten up there partner,I was only joking around but NO,I'm not going to adapt,it's bad enough I have had to buy tons of metric tools and the bottom line is the US is where I live so I'll manage just fine with our archaic standard measurements.


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

Billious;1684797 said:


> Given that you're in the area, you'll know what I mean when I say my route looks like "Fitchburg - Near West - Maple Bluff - Atwood - Monona"... less than optimal for running laps.


Yes I know exactly, that would be allot of running around.

I do West Midtown Rd to the City of Verona. I have one that I can do whenever, as in the next day, that is 20 mins away. No one lives there and it is for sale. Interesting thing was I gave them a very high quote because I did not want to do it. But got it anyway. :laughing:


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

Just my .02 here. With residentials I used to do, most would want me there for a morning plow out then again when it's finished. So you might be hitting it at 4" and a final time for 2". Most people have places to go in the morning and don't want to navigate 5" of snow to do it.


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## SnowGuy73 (Apr 7, 2003)

WIPensFan;1684902 said:


> Just my .02 here. With residentials I used to do, most would want me there for a morning plow out then again when it's finished. So you might be hitting it at 4" and a final time for 2". Most people have places to go in the morning and don't want to navigate 5" of snow to do it.


Agreed....


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## Landcare - Mont (Feb 28, 2011)

tuney443;1684807 said:


> Lighten up there partner,I was only joking around but NO,I'm not going to adapt,it's bad enough I have had to buy tons of metric tools and the bottom line is the US is where I live so I'll manage just fine with our archaic standard measurements.


You may notice that the OP has a truck with a 7.3 litre diesel and a 7-foot plow.

The cool thing is we get to be bilingual in more than just language - we flip back and forth between metric and SI. We can also use Imperial SI and US SI. Just FYI, there's 2.54 centimetres to an inch, 3.73 litres to the US gallon, 4 litres to the Imperial gallon and "neige" means snow.

For the OP, your timing depends on what you've promised your customers. Generally standard residential around here is opening up before 7 a.m. so your customers get out and drive the road and mall contractors crazy and then cleaning the whole driveway while the cars are away.

As a road contractor, we start about 5 cms (2 inches tymusic) and keep filling in your driveways until 4-5 hours after the snow stops. Have a good day. We should be finished about 5 p.m.


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## Chineau (Aug 24, 2010)

MontanoPlow;1684430 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Here is my newbie question:
> 
> ...


What you commit to your customers? it really is irrelevant what we do,it is the service you sold that matters. Good luck.tymusic


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Chineau;1685029 said:


> What you commit to your customers? it really is irrelevant what we do,it is the service you sold that matters. Good luck.tymusic


You're spot on, it's based on what you sold to you customer.ussmileyflagussmileyflag:laughing:


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## NBI Lawn (Oct 15, 2007)

I am leaning towards just a single push for residential drives...unless it is a slow snow and you know the customer will be driving on it/need to leave if it happens during the day. Also, you need to be familiar with what your equipment is capable of. You know it will push 6" just fine but how well will it back drag 6"??? I know the Hiniker scoop plows don't back drag anything more than about 3" and that's with a good edge.


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