Get snow removal tips and strategies from a local snow removal expert, Tom Marsan, General Manager of Beverly Companies. Beverly Companies operates as the MPBHBA’s snow removal company for SSA 20 – Western Avenue sidewalks and we appreciate all of their hard work during the winter months!
Bio: Tom Marsan is a certified snow professional who has been in the landscaping and snow
removal industry for about two decades. He is an active member of Landscape Illinois and SIMA and is currently the General Manager at Beverly Companies in Chicagoland.
January snow in Morgan Park and Beverly Hills isn’t one big storm. It’s a cycle of light snow → daytime melt → nighttime refreeze → black ice.
The most effective snow plan is the one that prevents bonding and refreeze, not the one that throws more salt at the problem. Here are practical, less-obvious strategies used by the local snow professionals.
Secret #1: Stop snow from bonding to the pavement
Most people try to break the bond after snow packs down. Pros try to prevent the bond in the first place by applying a light treatment before precipitation starts. This is especially important on high-risk areas like front steps, sloped sidewalks, storefront entries, and north-facing stretches. A thin liquid layer like brine helps keep snow from sticking so it shovels/scrapes cleanly and needs less deicer afterward.
What to do at home or a small shop:
● If you don’t have professional liquid, you can still be proactive: clear debris, then apply a light deicer right before the first flakes (or when the pavement is still just wet). Anti-icing works best close to the onset of precipitation, and can also be done hours earlier depending on conditions.
● Priority spots: the first 10 feet from your door, stairs/landings, curb ramps, and any shaded or wind-swept corner.
Secret #2: Your timing matters more than your product
A common pro approach is to apply anti-icing ahead of the storm so crews (or you) aren’t stuck reacting at 2 a.m. Timing is about conditions, not the clock. Sun-warmed pavement, daytime evaporation, and avoiding rainfall wash-off all matter. If you’re treating too early and the surface gets wet again with fog or drizzle, you may dilute or wash away your work. If you treat too late after compaction, you’re fighting bonded snow and ice.
Secret #3: Temperature is the hidden switch
Rock salt (sodium chloride) loses effectiveness as temps drop, and becomes less reliable in the low 20s and below. In colder snaps, pros shift strategy to different materials, more mechanical removal, or targeted applications.
If it’s very cold, don’t keep dumping product expecting a faster melt. You often just create brine that refreezes later. Instead, shovel down to the pavement, improve traction where needed, and use a deicer matched to the temperature. You can also use less, if used more strategically.
Secret #4: “Less salt” is often more
Over-application is a major reason for slushy refreeze and slick nighttime conditions. Smart salting programs emphasize measured application rates, calibration, and documentation, because a little in the right place outperforms a lot everywhere.
Two pro moves you can copy:
1. Use a drop spreader for sidewalks. This is more consistent than hand-tossing. You can also use a scoop so you can apply lightly and evenly.
2. Treat only the ‘risk zones.’ Apply to steps, ramps, shaded areas, downspout splash zones, and the transition between shoveled path and untouched snow.
Industry standards like the ANSI Snow and Ice Management Procurement Standard and the Risk Evaluation Tool emphasize that effective snow and ice management is based on risk- based decision making, not blanket application.
These guidelines encourage evaluating site conditions such as pedestrian traffic, surface type, temperature, and refreeze potential, and then applying deicing materials only where and when risk justifies it.
This approach supports safer walking conditions while reducing over-application, refreeze issues, and unnecessary environmental impact, reinforcing the idea that more material does not equal more safety.
Secret #5: Fix the “ice factories” around your property
Many ice problems aren’t from snow, they’re from water:
● Downspouts discharging onto walks
● Low spots where meltwater pools
● Snow piles placed where they melt across foot traffic
Small fixes that change everything:
● Extend downspouts away from sidewalks or add a splash block that directs flow off the path.
● During shoveling/plowing, don’t pile snow uphill of a walkway where it will melt and refreeze across the route.
● Keep storm drains and curb inlets clear so meltwater has somewhere to go.
These tactics pair perfectly with anti-icing because you’re preventing the repeat-freeze cycle, not just chasing it.
Secret #6: For small businesses, your snow plan is also a liability plan
Slip-and-fall risk usually spikes after the storm, not during. The blue-sky day with melt/refreeze and foot traffic tracking slush back onto steps is where the most falls happen. Borrow a page from industry best practices and create a simple written policy and document what you did (time, condition, action). Many snow/ice best-practice resources emphasize documentation and consistent procedures as part of risk management.
Easy documentation habit:
● Take 2 quick photos: (1) conditions at the start, (2) conditions after clearing/treating.
● Keep a notes log: date/time, temps, what areas were treated.
Secret #7: The best snow removal “tool” is a two-pass mindset
Instead of trying to win the storm in one heroic session, use a two-pass approach. The first pass is early and light, focused on clearing initial accumulation before it gets packed down and treating high-risk areas like steps, ramps, entryways, and shaded sidewalks. This prevents snow from bonding to the surface and makes later cleanup much easier.
The second pass happens after the storm winds down. This is when you scrape all the way to pavement, clean up edges, and address refreeze-prone spots such as north-facing walks, downspouts, and areas where melting snow crosses foot traffic. It’s a targeted cleanup that reduces slippery conditions long after the snow stops falling.
Thanks to Beverly Companies for these pro-tips!
