Dealing with snow is part of being a Winnipegger. From clearing light snow with snow blowers before it gets compacted to shovelling windrows away from your driveway after snow plows clear the city streets, there’s a lot of snow clearing to do - and all of that snow has to go somewhere, no matter what snow clearing equipment you use to tidy it up.
Not everyone has a parking lot the size of St. Vital Mall’s - and that means there simply isn’t as much room to pile snow. Property owners can pile snow on a small lot (though snow removal is better - more on that later); some spots are great for piling, while other spots are no-gos. Let’s dive right in:
Permeable surfaces, like gravel and mulch, are great places for piling snow. As the snow melts, the water will infiltrate into voids; when it freezes again, the freezing will occur below the surface, reducing the risk of slippery surfaces on your property. Another advantage to using these permeable surfaces is that the freeze-thaw cycle is less likely to damage them than, say, your driveway.
Some of these permeable spots may be in locations where piling snow isn’t the best idea; you might, for example, want to avoid piling snow too closely to plants (which could be damaged by their weight) or your driveway (which freeze-thaw cycles can damage if the permeable surface is too close to cement or asphalt).
Greater permeability means better ice control; ice will form away from sensitive areas, since the water will be sucked into the permeable surface. You should avoid piling snow on permeable pavers; however, if ice is allowed to form below their surface, the pavement could be compromised.
Your yard is one of the best places to pile snow; soil is permeable, and snow piles on your lawn are unlikely to impede anyone’s access to your front door, mailbox, or other important places.
The key here is to rotate your snow piles. When piles are too high, they risk spilling over onto driveways or into the street. High piles are also heavy piles, and though lawns in Winnipeg are full of hardy cool-season grasses that can stand up to the snow, overly large piles can damage or kill them.
Rotating yard snow-caches can also help you save time and energy shovelling; the larger a pile is, the more effort it will take to move snow to the top of the pile.
When you know your snow pile is going to be cleared by professionals, you can create a snow pile near the edge of your back alley or road. This makes it easy for the pros to come and clear the snowpile; it can be a good idea if you know they’re coming to clear snow later, but you need removal now.
You can also dump snow at the three approved snow removal sites 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - but doing so can be pretty inconvenient if you don’t have a pickup truck.
You don’t want to pile snow along foundation walls for a number of reasons:
You also want to avoid piling snow on any wood structures, including wood fences; the water in the snow can cause those structures to rot.
Egress windows cannot be covered because they’re used for emergency exits; if they’re covered, exit becomes impossible, which is a major fire hazard.
Windows and vents are also not as well sealed as the rest of the building; snow and meltwater can infiltrate, leading to ice buildup and damage. Keep snow far away from any potential entry or exit points!
Dumping snow onto the boulevard, onto the street, or into a back alley can be tempting; it’s also against City of Winnipeg By-laws. You are not allowed to dump snow off of your private property unless you’re hauling it to a snow disposal site operated by the City. Doing so could result in warnings and fines.
A Winnipeg snow removal company can transport snow from your property to one of the City’s approved snow dumping sites. This has some major advantages, especially for people with smaller commercial or residential properties:
Another major advantage of hiring a company for snow removal is that you won’t have to shovel. Shovelling takes time, and whether you’re clearing your driveway to get to work or clearing your commercial property to bring in customers, there are things you’d probably rather be doing instead.
Snow removal companies will usually clear snow after 2-3 inches / 5-7.6 cm fall, but 2-3 inches does not make a pile.
We’d recommend clearing piles before:
When hiring a snow removal company, however, you won’t have to worry about these details; they’ll all be negotiated before you sign up for the service.
Tired of shovelling snow and worrying about where to pile it? Don’t spend another winter straining your back and your brain. Call Cleanr for efficient snow removal services in Winnipeg; you’ll be glad you did!
Our professional snow removal service is available to everyone: we offer both residential snow removal and commercial snow removal in Winnipeg. We use state-of-the-art snow removal equipment and competitive pricing; that’s something to keep you warm this winter season!
