February 17, 2003, Long Island, New York

While visiting my family this week, Long Island received a record snowfall of 23" in a single day.  I was forced to shovel the driveway 5 times during the day.  Before venturing out onto my driveway that has a steep 5 degree pitch, I went out my front door and dug a small snowpit to get a good feel for the snow.  The temps were in the teens, so the snow was extremely light and dry.  However, the snow was accompanied by heavy winds, so there were drifts over 3 feet deep in certain areas, but I did conclude my driveway was safe to shovel.  While I was shoveling, I noticed a cornice on my roof, therefore I thought I should reevaluate the conditions.  Several shovel shear tests and a comprehensive show pit analysis both sheared to the pavement, but I wasn't really worried.  After jacking my neighbor's snow blower, the job became much easier.

joshua