How Early Is Too Early To Snowblow Your Driveway In Michigan?

If anyone asked you what your least favorite part of winter was, you would have a variety of answers. The first would probably be the cold, followed by driving on snowy/icy roads. However, what some adults may say is their least favorite thing is having to shovel the driveway, or, for those among us who are feeling fancy, using a snow blower. 

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The goal is to be in the cold for as little time as possible. Snow blowers make snow removal quick, but how early is it okay to use that blower in the morning? No one wants to be that guy making a ruckus during the early hours.

⬇️20+ BIRDS THAT STAY AROUND DURING THE WINTER IN MI⬇️

Snowblow At Will

When you can start up the snowblower really comes down to legality and societal norms..Legally, you need to be worried about noise ordinances in your area. For Grand Rapids, quiet hours are between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. So, legally speaking, you can start around 7 am without having the police called on you.

However...

But honestly, the law isn't the thing people are worried about. Everyone HATES that guy who mows his lawn while the sun is barely up. Using a loud machine outside just rubs everyone the wrong way. However, the difference between Lawn Guy and Snowblower Guy comes down to one important factor: necessity. 

Lawn Guy has no real reason to mow that early; clearing your driveway of snow is an essential task to get on the road or head to work. Clearing snow is just a part of living in Michigan, and that seems to be the consensus from fellow Michiganders on this subreddit.

Snow doesn't care about your schedule. So, if you're able to wait until past 7 a.m. and before 10 p.m. to start snowblowing, your neighbors will probably appreciate it. But if that's not an option, well, desperate times call for desperate measures.