New England Blade – Steve LeGros

As sports turf managers there are many challenges we face and many of these are weather related. While working in the Northeast, my biggest challenge was dealing with winter conditions, especially in football season or in early spring with field hockey or baseball.

I have found through trial and error a number of ways to deal with snow on both synthetic and natural grass fields; the most important strategy was to have a plan of attack ahead of time, before Old Man Winter throws multiple inches of snow or ice at you. If you are not prepared, the results will be a lot of lost valuable time in the removing of this frozen precipitation. Establish what the plan of action will be in advance and be sure to factor in the worst-case scenario while also having a Plan B.

Plowing Options

Here are a couple of plowing options that can be used to remove snow on either synthetic or natural grass:

If a rain tarp is available, tarping the surface before the event allows you to remove the snow/ice AS SOON AS IT BEGINS TO FALL. Using high-powered, PTO-driven blowers allows you to prevent as much accumulation on the tarp as possible: this requires being on site as soon as the snow or freezing rain begins to fall and proactively removing the precipitation by working from the center of the field and working your way out to the sidelines.

The snow must be a dry snow for blowers to work. If it’s a wet snow you can remove the snow by using rubber tip snowplows or other snowplow options listed below. Do not allow the snow to accumulate more than one inch before beginning the removal. Also, plowing off the rain tarp makes for a cleaner surface in the end.

CAUTION: When plowing off of the rain tarp, plow in the direction in which the tarp was laid and modifying the plow blade to prevent snagging and tearing the rain tarp.

Plowing an uncovered surface with a pickup truck or utility work vehicle works fine, but you must retrofit the plow blades. Here are some ideas:

Use pressure treated wood/recycled lumber. Hardware needed: long lag bolts, washers, and nuts and one 2 x 4 x 8-inch or 4 x 6 x 8-inch piece of lumber. I remove the snowshoes from the plow (will still be used as the receiver for the pressure treated wood). Take the lumber or whatever you find that will keep the blade from coming in contact with the surface.

On the bottom side of the lumber, recess drill two holes (large enough for the lag bolt head with a washer) in alignment with the plow shoe receivers; the recessed drill hole should be deep enough to allow for a lag bolt head to sit flush with the bottom of the board. Place a support washer at the end of the bolt for reinforcement. Run the lag bolt up through the board and through the snowshoe ring on the back of the plow. Add washers above and below the lag bolt as you would with the snowshoe for spacers and secure bolt with a locking nut.

Another idea is using a drainpipe bucket plow. You need a 15 to 20-foot by 18-inch diameter drainpipe, ratchet straps, and a tractor with bucket. Strapping the drainpipe to the bucket increases the plowing swath; when you plow have the lift bucket up, tilt the bucket forward, lower to turf and plow.

Synthetic Fields

When plowing synthetic fields, you don’t need to scrape the surface clean. If you try, it will result in the removal of crumb rubber and the chance of turf damage. Instead, drop the plow to the surface and then raise it slightly (1/8 to 1/4 inch). Leaving this small amount of snow is what you want to achieve. Synthetic turf heats up so fast that even 1–2 inches of snow will rapidly melt off if there are slightly exposed areas of green turf.

After the majority of snow has been removed, black crumb rubber (synthetic field) or black sand (natural grass) can be spread over the field. Allow this to sit 20–30 minutes and then run a field groomer over this last bit of snow and it will quickly dissolve. I have also seen green dye sprayed over the last one inch of snow that will absorb more sunlight and accelerate the melt.

If only one to two inches of snow has fallen on synthetic turf, I have been able to drive a utility vehicle in a crisscross pattern across the field (like a mowing pattern) to achieve melting; by compressing this little bit of snow in the tire tracks it accelerates the melting.

Snow blowers also work well but remember not to scrape it clean. Leave a 1/4 inch of snow, followed by an application of crumb rubber or black sand.

Don’t be too concerned with plowing against the seams of the synthetic turf. As long as you’re not scraping it clean and take your time, it will be fine. If you try to cowboy plow the removal of the snow and the plow begins to bounce, it could result in extreme turf damage.

If a large amount of snow is called for, get after it as soon as there is an inch of accumulation and keep repeating the removal process throughout the storm.

When the field is scheduled to be used in early spring (March/ April), I recommend you remove the snow after each storm event throughout the winter. Removing all but one inch will prevent a lot of heartache come March. It’s much easier to remove one inch of snow in the spring than to remove three feet of frozen, hard-packed snow.

Snow Removal: Members Weigh In

Earlier this year, NESTMA polled members on their snow clearing practices. The majority indicated that they do clear snow off synthetic fields and those that don’t hold back due to warranty concerns. There was an equal split between those that contract the service out and those who perform snow clearing in-house. Clearing snow with a Snow Pusher Box is the overwhelming choice for sports turf professionals.

Tom Barry, CSFM, heads the NESTMA Network committee. When reviewing the results of this poll he noted, “What was interesting to me was that most folks that clear fields do it on a storm-by-storm basis. At Greens Farms Academy [in Westport, CT] we wait until late February. Primarily because we don’t use the fields over the winter. This has burned us in the past though, because when snow builds up and doesn’t melt off, it can become frozen in layers and is much more difficult to push.”

Planning is Key

Matt Clement, Grounds Manager at Roger Williams University in Providence, RI shares his thoughts on snow removal.

“We have seen an increasing number of synthetic turf fields being installed throughout New England.

This has helped get athletes out on the fields earlier, but it has created another challenge – snow removal. Sports turf managers need to have a plan in place to remove snow from their synthetic turf fields and be prepared for what Mother Nature tosses their way. By being prepared and having a snow removal plan in place using in-house resources, or contracting out snow removal, sports turf managers can provide their teams and coaches a safe, playable field throughout the winter / spring sports season. There are many resources available including specialized plows and companies with expertise in snow removal on synthetic turf.

Snow removal on natural grass athletic fields is probably the most challenging. A few years back, David Mellor, Senior Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox, came up with the great idea of applying black sand to snow covered athletic fields. The application of black sand is a safe and sustainable alternative to mechanical snow removal. The application of the black sand can be performed in house or contracted out to contractors that have the right equipment to apply the sand safely and efficiently.”

Steve LeGros has been in the turfgrass industry for more than 30 years as a turfgrass/stadium operations manager and has been consulting with turfgrass management and facilities operations on all levels of athletic fields since 2007. The article originally appeared in Sports Turf magazine and is reprinted with the author’s permission. 

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