Can Snowblowers Remove Ice?

Single- or Dual-Stage

• Single-stage snowblowers are affordable, but they won't help you cut through ice in your yard. These blowers have paddles that grab the snow and toss it to the side. They don't have enough power to grab ice as well as snow; broken ice mixed with the snow can cause these units to clog. Dual-stage snowblowers have powerful augers that cut through snow and some ice and impellers that throw the material through a chute up and out to the side.

Electric or Gas

• Electric snowblowers often are single-stage models. They have limited power compared with gas snowblowers. The gas versions can be single-stage or dual-stage models. They require more maintenance than electric snowblowers, a bigger upfront investment and the continued cost of fuel, but they are your best option if you need to cut through ice blocking your way.

Ice that Can Be Removed

• Dual-stage snowblowers work best with certain types of ice. If you have small ice blocks that have formed within the snow, the auger should be able to grab them, break them up and hand them off to the impeller to shoot out with the snow. The snowblower can also break up ridges of ice that build up at the end of your driveway, often left behind when snow plows clear the roads or when the friction of moving car tires melt the snow slightly.

Ice that Can't Be Removed

• Some ice is impervious to even the strongest snowblower. Layers of solid ice might form under the snow, often occurring when the early snow melts some during the day and refreezes during the night. Snowblowers are designed to skim the surface of your sidewalks and driveways, and they can't distinguish a sheet of ice from a concrete walkway. The augers or paddles pass right over the ice sheets without digging in to break them up.