STOP SNOWTCHIN'! Part III: The Conclusion

In my previous blog, I debated whether or not the use of a snow blower was a sign of hypocrisy regarding Chicagoans' latest attitudes and reactions to infrequent snow storms hitting the area. Well, the verdict is in:

"It depends..."

Here's the criteria to determine if you're being a punk-az regarding snow removal:

• Your physical ability to remove snow
  If you're able-bodied, in relatively good health and are above the age of 10, you should be down for removing snow.  If you're pregnant, elderly, disabled, or a young child, you can forgo removing your own snow.
  
• The amount of snow needing to remove
  This one is tricky as this is so relative to your environment.  I am going to say that if there is enough snow to keep an average car from traversing a path to a street, you probably should look at the snow blower.  If you're in an all-day blizzard and don't have the means to shovel during the storm, then a snow blower to dig yourself out of your home is probably a good idea.
  
• The frequency in which snow needs to be removed
  The kind of goes in hand with the gauge above.  I had to manually remove snow twice during the recent storm and once after.  I'll go with a "4 or more times" rule - if you have to remove snow more than 3 times manually to keep your path clear, a snow blower is a good idea to use.

• Environmental factors influencing snow removal urgency
  This one hits me close to home.  When my wife was pregnant with our second child, she was due any second.  Of course, the hospital was at least an hour away in good weather and we got a huge snow storm.  I had to keep the driveway clear to get her there during the snow storm.  At the time I didn't have a snow blower so I had no choice to but head out during the storm and remove the snow.  I have a 3 car garage-wide drive way.  I kept a path open for two cards to ge tin and out.  It also took me 5 different times every two hours to keep it clear.  I REALLY wish I had a snow blower that day.  Luckily, my father-in-law brought his over and helped clear out a space for a third car then next day.
  
  So, if you're going to be  in a relative life-or-death situation (I include child birth in that category), you should probably think of using a snow blower.

I ended up not using a snow blower to clear my driveway out  as it was all that deep and the temperature outside had risen enough to begin turning everything into slush. 

So, I'm not a hypocrite on this one folks! I braved the March 2013 Snowmaggedon!