Can't keep up with the sleet and now it's dark. What else to check? Vents? Generator? Where? What?

I just did a lap around the property shoveling the sleet layer. By the time I got back to my front door, the front step had accumulated as much as I had removed.

Second shovel just completed around 3:15pm. First round was completed around 10:30 am. Second round was much tougher with all the sleet - the ice is much heavier.

Shoveling Strategy: 8" Snow followed by 12h Sleet (<20°F)
When dealing with this specific sequence, the goal is to prevent the formation of "ice concrete." If sleet saturates 8 inches of snow and then freezes, it becomes nearly impossible to remove without heavy machinery.
1. The "Clean Slate" Phase
Action: You must shovel the 8 inches of snow before the sleet begins.
* The Risk: Sleet is liquid or semi-liquid; it will filter through the snowpack. When temperatures are below 20°F, this mixture freezes into a solid block.
* The Goal: Get down to the bare pavement. Even a half-inch of leftover snow will act as a sponge for the sleet and create a bond with the ground.
2. Chemical Management for Low Temps
Standard rock salt (Sodium Chloride) is ineffective once temperatures drop below 15°F to 20°F. Use the following guide for choosing a de-icer:
-- Rock Salt: Effective to 15°F. (Avoid in these temps)
-- Magnesium Chloride: Effective to -5°F. (Good choice)
-- Calcium Chloride: Effective to -25°F. (Required for these temps)
Apply your de-icer immediately after the first shovel pass. This creates a brine layer that prevents the sleet from bonding to the driveway.
3. The Sleet Maintenance
12 hours of sleet is a long duration.
* Intermediate Clears: Do not wait for the full 12 hours to pass. Sleet is extremely heavy (often 3x the weight of dry snow).
* The Scrape: Use a metal-edged shovel or an ice scraper to clear the slush every 3–4 hours. It is easier to move 1 inch of slush three times than 3 inches of solid ice once.
4. Safety & Ergonomics
Sleet-laden precipitation is often called "Heart Attack Snow." Because the temperature is below 20°F, your blood vessels are already constricted. Do not attempt to lift full shovel loads of water-heavy sleet.
* Traction: If the temperature stays below 10°F, chemicals may stop reacting quickly. Keep a bag of sand or poultry grit on hand for physical traction.
* The Tarp Trick: If you have a small walkway, lay a heavy-duty tarp down after your first shovel pass. Once the sleet ends, you can drag the tarp (and the ice layer) off to the side.

Anonymous wrote:Literally no one on my street has shoveled anything.

Same, I’m about the only one. We are in Arlington and have about 7 inches of snow and sleet. These people are gonna be screwed tomorrow.

Don’t forget to make a cut out from your driveway to the plowed road if you live in a neighborhood. Otherwise coming out of your driveway you’re gonna get stuck.

I shoveled at 8 am. It was as expected, 3” of snow. Then at 11am slightly easier. Then 1:30pm and it was tough. Glad I broke it up into 3 parts.

Make sure your outside furnace exhaust vents don’t clog w ice BTW.

I’ve shoveled three times. I am tired and grumpy and I need to do it again.

Literally no one on my street has shoveled anything.

Round 1 at 8:15 this morning was easy here in Fairfax. Just came in and Round 2 was TUF! It's like shoveling 3 inches of sand stick to the driveway. VERY slick now too.

9am the snow was fluffy. Snowblower cleaned it well. By noon, the sleet had made it very, very dense. Hard to blow or shovel. Heart attack snow.

I always prefer to wait and have that layer of snow underneath to help lift the snow. I may regret it this time but we'll see.
I covered my back steps in a plastic tarp last night to see if that helps prevent them becoming dangerously icy.

It’s noon on Sunday and we just finished the second round of shoveling. A thinner, less icy layer is always going to be easier than waiting.

Anonymous wrote:I shoveled early but now there’s at least an inch of sleet on top. I did ice melt, but that doesn’t seem to have done anything.

You have to use calcium chloride. And it may take a few hours

I’m going out every hour and it’s still heavy and horrible. Feels like a never ending struggle

I shoveled early but now there’s at least an inch of sleet on top. I did ice melt, but that doesn’t seem to have done anything.