Winter officially starts on December 21st, and we’re sure to have a long season of bad winter weather ahead of us.

Although snow and ice can be hard on properties, there are steps you can take to help protect your commercial lot, retail facility or large commercial site from the worst of weather conditions.

Just like you should arrange to have a preventative Pavement Maintenance Plan in place, you should also have a pre-arranged winter contract with a professional snow plowing service.

They will work with you to make sure your snow is removed quickly and efficiently, and keep your business open when that blizzard hits.

Here are a few other winter weather tips:

• Use bright flags to show the boundary for the plows.  When a major snow storm has turned everything into a winter wonderland, it can be very hard to tell where the perimeters are.  By marking along walkways, curbs and medians, you can help save your landscaping features.
• Cover your boundary plants with burlap or plastic because de-icing agents like sodium chloride can be very harmful to them (and the surrounding soil).
• Apply any de-icers soon after the plowing and shovelling so that the ice doesn’t have time to fully bond with the surface underneath it.

We hope your property makes it through the winter unscathed.  We’ll see you in the spring!