Winter in Greater Chicago is unpredictable, with unpredictable conditions often causing surprises each year.
A severe and heavy winter can particularly disrupt commercial properties that must clear ice and snow from entrances to maintain smooth traffic flow at all times. This is especially true for sites like industrial and healthcare facilities, which experience high volumes of deliveries and visitors.
Usually, sidewalks and parking lots need to stay open and accessible to ensure the safety of employees, customers, tenants, and visitors during winter. For example, a retail store cannot afford to lose sales during the busy holiday season if snow makes entry points impassable.
In fact, when a snow or ice storm hits in the middle of the night, you want to know you did everything you could, planning, to ensure the property is functioning smoothly come morning rush hour.
And while you might be prepared for winter, are you prepared for all the different types of winter weather types? There are so many ways winter can hit Greater Chicago.
Let’s look at the different snow removal events you must prepare for on your commercial property.
Learning About Commercial Snow Removal Basics
Every snow and ice storm is different, and your professional will use various techniques and tactics to ensure the job is done efficiently.
That’s why hiring a commercial snow removal service company with educated personnel who know snow and ice management best practices can make a big difference in how your winter progresses.
Typically, there are two main types of snow removal contracts: per-occurrence and seasonal.
A per-occurrence contract requires payment each time your snow removal service plows or salts your property. It can specify the snow depth needed for action, such as two inches or more.
If safety is a concern, you can negotiate a lower snow threshold, such as 1 inch. A seasonal contract offers an all-inclusive rate paid monthly for four months, covering unlimited snow and ice events regardless of their severity.
Below are some of the most common winter storms we face.
Light Snow Removal Events
A light dusting of snow or ice – particularly when they happen early in the season when the ground is still warm – may warrant no action.
By morning, the temperatures could be warmer, and the ground may just be wet.
But colder temperatures could result in ice formation, so your commercial snow removal provider must be prepared to handle various types of light events to ensure your property can function well.
Having a company with experience in understanding and watching weather forecasts and temperatures can give you the peace of mind in knowing that you are covered no matter how light this event is and what kind of temperatures come with it.
Snow Removal Events That Last Multiple Days
Sometimes, once snow removal begins, it seems to go on forever. This prevents both snow and ice from melting.
Therefore, your commercial snow removal team should be prepared with deicing and salting supplies in advance and have a strategy for clearing large amounts of snow. During such storms, snow piles can become particularly tall.
For these cases, your snow removal contract should specify an hourly rate for the additional services needed.
These services require additional equipment, such as skid-steer loaders or front-end loaders, along with a dump truck, to effectively remove heavy snow from your property.
Your contract might also specify an hourly rate for manual ice chipping, which is necessary if the ice is too thick to melt with other methods.
Emergency Snow Removal Events
Sometimes Old Man Winter arrives suddenly and dumps heavy snow, surprising those expecting mild weather in the coming days.
As commercial snow removal is considered an emergency service, it must be conducted promptly, prioritizing safety for the team and everyone on your property.
Snow and ice can lead to liability issues if not managed properly.
Choose a snow and ice removal company equipped to handle sudden snowstorms without overcommitting, ensuring they can manage the workload. You need a reliable partner who won't cause business delays during emergencies.
When Large Snow Storms Hit Large Properties
When snow hits a larger commercial property, it requires larger equipment, such as skid-steers, loaders, and sidewalk snow removal units, to handle snow and ice. You’ll also need a lot of salt and other deicing products.
This is why you must search for a commercial snow removal company that has enough equipment and resources to service a property of your scope and size, and the experience to operate this larger equipment. They also need a reliable supplier to ensure they can obtain the amount of salt required for use on your site.
If your site is large enough, you may even want to consider storing larger equipment on-site to streamline snow and ice removal. In your contract, this might be referred to as a monthly “ready fee” to ensure equipment is ready to use when needed.
Middle of the Night Snow Storms
Sometimes snow removal events happen in the middle of the night – when no one, including you, is awake.
The last thing you want at 3 a.m. is to not be able to sleep because you’re concerned about the weather or that your commercial facility will be impassable due to middle-of-the-night storms.
When you’re a facility manager juggling multiple areas of your property or even multiple sites, you want to know you can count on your service professionals to get winter work done – even in the middle of the night.
Finding a commercial snow removal company that can handle late-night storms and keep you in the loop through proper communication is essential.
Communication also includes continually watching the weather. Weather reports for upcoming storms allow your commercial snow removal contractor to plan for the predicted weather and communicate a proactive plan to employees and customers.
Snow Removal Events That Arrive Out of Season
In Greater Chicago, commercial snow removal contracts typically run from December 1st through March 31st every year. But remember Snow-tober? There have been times when snow removal events have occurred outside the traditional window.
But once you have a signed contract in place, your service provider should be able to accommodate you during storms that fall outside of this window because it’s part of the season and part of creating a long-lasting partnership with you.
KD Landscape Offers Commercial Snow Removal You Can Rely On
No matter what type of snow removal event comes your way, you want to make sure you have a service provider that can handle it.
Communication and partnership are essential for winter services at Greater Chicago commercial properties.
We know you have many options. We hope this information helps you make a better decision. If you need help sorting out the specifics of snow and ice management for your site, give KD Landscape a call. We can help you navigate this unpredictable season.
KD Landscape would be happy to discuss specific ideas to ensure safety on your site this winter in Greater Chicago. Request a proposal today. We’ll review your options together so you can make the best choice.
