Halloween usually marks the arrival of winter in Western Canada. And winter means snow. And snow means I get to use my electric snow thrower.

Last fall, I noticed the Snow Joe 322P electric snow thrower on sale at Lowes for $50. At that price, I thought I would give it a try. Calgary is not known for a lot of snow, but we have had more than usual over the past few years.

This little electric snow thrower is probably the best $50 I ever spent. It really works well under certain conditions. I have a wide but short driveway. This model only throws snow straight ahead, about 15 feet. Since my driveway is short, I can easily clear snow either ahead onto the road, or work it sideways and throw snow onto the lawn. The blade is about 12” wide. It works best when the snow is around 4 inches deep.

Compared to shoveling snow by hand, the electric show thrower is faster and easier on the back. I would say clearing 4” of snow off my driveway takes one third the time. But the real benefit is probably no more lifting.

These devices normally sell around $150-$200. There are models which will also throw to the side. Mine doesn’t. Now, these are not heavy duty snow blowers. And folks in heavy snow areas like Winnipeg and Regina would probably think these are a joke. But with the lighter snow fall in Calgary, they work fine for short driveways, sidewalks and decks.

Electric snow thrower is ready to go

Farmers’ Almanac says we are going to have a lot of snow in Calgary this winter. The Weather Office says to expect a warm, dry winter. However, with second strongest El Niño on record, I am guessing that my electric snow thrower might not get as much use this winter.

You can watch a video of an electric snow thrower in action here.