[Sporin]

Bear in mind how little significant snowfall we've received the last few years. I used my snowblower a grand total of 5 times last winter.

[chaz longue]

Originally Posted by PortieOwner

How do people plow their own driveways if they live in the country? Get a plow for their SUV? Or hire a private company? Or buy a tractor with a plow or snowblower?

Portie

Yes...!

Some also live in a rural subdivision with a road maintainance agreement. In that case there'd be a fee paid periodically to handle this as a neighborhood.

[flu189]

As several have already commented the roads are plowed pretty well. As far as dirt roads go some get plowed very well such as mine which is 5.7 miles long and I live virtually at its mid point. If you are in doubt or worry about buying a home off a dirt road you could check with the town highway dept and inquire as to their plowing priorities and frequency. They do however use too much salt which creates a slushy brine which is actually worse to drive on than compacted snow and ice not to mention the eventual damage it causes to vehicles. When the salt dries on the pavement it then gets kicked up by traffic and wind. What has amazed me up here is to actually see plow trucks running with their blades down on the pavement throwing sparks when there is nothing to plow. As far as private driveways go I prefer to clean it myself with a snowblower. My drive is 500 feet on an incline with a curve so I prefer not to have berms plowed up which during freeze and thaw cycles can run off and freeze on the driveway. Many of my area neighbors pay to have their drives plowed out, but during an ongoing storm there is no guarantee they will be there to clear your drive when you need to leave or return.

[vtmetsfan]

For the most part, roads are plowed well. I lived in Buffalo during my college years, and the road crews performed miracles when it came to plowing snow. Took a little getting used to when I first moved here, but no complaints now. Besides, if they cleaned the snow any better here, my car would be a rusted piece of junk in no time.

[goatwoodward]

When I lived in Virginia, every year it would snow & every year it seemed as though the snow was a *big surprise* to the plow drivers/local government. Vermont seems to be much more on top of it. In VA, we once got nearly 2 weeks off school for a grand total of 3-4 feet of snow throughout the 2 week period - in Vermont, I can only hope to get one day off if it snows 3-4 feet in a *day*.