How should you shovel the snow on your sidewalks? Tips for Kansas City area residents
The Kansas City area is beginning to dig its way out after a winter storm dumped nearly a foot of snow across much of the metro.
The final snowfall total Sunday at Kansas City International Airport was 11 inches, which broke the previous record for that date of 10.1 inches set in 1962, according to the National Weather Service.
According to measurements submitted to the weather service, snowfall totals ranged between 8 and 13 inches in the Kansas City area. The heaviest snowfall totals included 13 inches near the Village of Oakview in Clay County and Bonner Springs in Wyandotte County.
Residents will have a lot of shoveling in the immediate future. Here are a few tips on clearing the sidewalks in front of your property.
Shoveling tips for Kansas City residents
The Missouri Department of Transportation has some suggestions on how to shovel so the snow doesn’t get pushed back onto your driveway or sidewalk when the snowplows treat the roads.
“When facing the street, you need to shovel away the snow that’s resting along the shoulder to the left of your driveway entrance,” MoDOT said in a video. “By creating this open area, you will eliminate the chance of a plow pushing snow back across your entryway.”
The city of Overland Park says to direct snow away from streets to avoid adding obstacles for plows when shoveling or using a snow blower. Keeping sidewalks clear also helps your neighbors get to school, work or other destinations safely.
Shoveling can be a dangerous activity following extreme weather conditions. Research from the American Heart Association shows many people may face an increased risk of a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest after shoveling heavy snow.
“The strain of heavy snow shoveling may be as or even more demanding on the heart than taking a treadmill stress test, according to research we’ve conducted,” Barry Franklin, a professor of internal medicine at Oakland University in Royal Oak, Michigan told the AHA. “For example, after only two minutes of snow shoveling, study participants’ heart rates exceeded 85% of maximal heart rate, which is a level more commonly expected during intense aerobic exercise testing.”
Franklin said the most important thing is to be aware of the dangers, be prepared and take it easy, including taking short breaks.
When should I shovel?
Should you wait to shovel until the snow is finished or should you shovel in segments so you’re only removing 4 inches at a time instead of getting rid of 11 inches?
While it comes down to preference and how much you can safely lift, property owners and residents do have to shovel after a certain time, according to local laws.
A city ordinance requires that Kansas City residents remove ice and snow from the sidewalks adjacent to their property after a storm.
“It shall be the duty of all persons owning or occupying any real property, fronting upon any street, boulevard or highway, to remove from the sidewalks in front or alongside of such property all ice and snow within a reasonable time after cessation of a storm depositing such ice or snow,” the ordinance reads.
Overland Park’s municipal code states that landowners are “deemed and held responsible for the maintenance and repair of the sidewalk” that adjoins their property. But while the city has long encouraged its residents to remove snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of their homes, it doesn’t issue penalties to those who don’t.
In Kansas City, Kansas, winter weather policies state that “the adjacent property owner is responsible for keeping sidewalks clear.” However, this requirement isn’t explicitly laid out in the Unified Government’s code of ordinances.
In Mission, residents are required to shovel within 48 hours of snowfall stopping, as long as the city received 2 or more inches of snow. You also can’t dump your shoveled snow into the street. Prairie Village property owners are responsible for removing snow and ice within 24 hours of the end of a storm.
In Roeland Park and Shawnee, residents must clear sidewalks within 48 hours — but if removing the snow or ice isn’t possible, sprinkling an abrasive material like sand or salt over the sidewalk area counts as complying with city rules. Be aware that salt may not work when it’s freezing and to check your products before using them on your property.
In Independence, residents are required to keep sidewalks and curbs clear of “all snow, ice, earth or other substances,” but city code doesn’t provide a timeline in which this work needs to be done.
While Lee’s Summit residents are encouraged to keep sidewalks clear, this city doesn’t have an ordinance requiring them to shovel snow or ice. Neither does Lenexa, on the Kansas side of the state line.
