Start Preparing Now For The Winter Ahead: What’s Your Snow And Ice Management Plan?

It’s September: the temperatures are still warm, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and there’s lots of color in the landscape. But there’s one thing you’re not thinking about this month that you should be: snow and ice management.

Yes, we know 2013-2014 was a bad winter, and most of us just want to put it behind us. But a bad winter is one of the most important reasons to prepare now for the upcoming snow and ice season. This ensures you’ll have a solid plan in place that focuses on all of the elements that matter most to your business so your commercial property can weather any storm.

Mother Nature never delivers the same mix of weather conditions every year. Using the non-winter months to evaluate snow and ice management strategies can mean a world of difference come winter when commercial property managers are ensuring pathways are clear and building tenants and visitors are safe. Always having snow and ice removal in mind is crucial to ensuring a smooth transition into the coldest, most brutal weather season.

Here are the top 3 reasons why planning now makes sense when it comes to snow and ice removal.

Think Safety First

Particularly at certain commercial sites, such as condominium associations, safety is paramount when it comes to ensuring visitors can park and enter or exit buildings with ease. In these cases, making a list of priorities can ensure you and your snow and ice management partner are focused on the right approaches during the toughest parts of the season.

Create A Sustainable Management Plan

Some snow and ice removal companies, can manage snow removal crew time, equipment and materials using a lean strategy for maximum efficiency and value.

For example, a more sustainable approach to winter weather management can include using the lowest-impact deicing options to minimize environmental impact, as well as using deicing materials only as necessary, applying them at the right time and in the right amounts.

Review What Did And Didn’t Work

Once the snow starts falling, you don’t have much time to analyze the previous season or improve strategies for the coming season. Now, however, you can take time to evaluate which strategies worked really well during the 2013-2014 winter season and which ones could use a new plan of attack.

Your Goal: Find A Good Partner

Managing snow and ice removal is a tough job. Your Landscape provider can help you come up with a plan that ensures the safety of your homeowners and visitors and helps you sleep better at night knowing no matter what Mother Nature delivers, you have a reliable partner helping you take care of snow and ice accumulation. 

Kim Rieble