Winter weather has always posed challenges for commercial properties, but in recent years, those challenges have spread to regions that rarely saw snow and ice in the past. Take Winter Storm Enzo, for example. In January 2025, the storm dumped 6 to 11 inches of snow across parts of Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Texas—more than many northern cities experienced.
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Reliable, Immediate Commercial Snow & Ice Removal Services
To stay ahead of the next unexpected storm, facility managers need a proactive plan. These five key steps can help ensure your properties are prepared—whether winter weather is routine or a rare event in your region.
1. Understand your snow and ice removal contract options
Seasonal contracts—where services are provided for a fixed fee throughout the winter—are often preferred in regions with higher-than-average snowfall. In contrast, per-push or per-occurrence contracts, which are triggered by specific weather events, can be more cost-effective in areas with infrequent snow. Even if you operate in low-probability regions, it’s still important to ensure those sites are covered in your snow and ice removal contracts.
2. Ensure your partner has solid technology
Your snow and ice removal partner should have the technology to track potential snow events for early preparation and provide updates on the status of your properties, recording vendor check-ins on site via GPS. They should have a high check-in compliance rate among vendors to mitigate your risk during severe weather events and enable you to quickly make operational decisions.
3. Confirm communications practices expectations
Proactive and transparent communication with your snow and ice removal partner is critical—particularly curing unexpected winter storms. Pre-storm communication should begin as soon as possible. Communications should typically start seven to 10 days in advance (or as far ahead as possible) and continue regularly throughout the event. Your partner should provide consistent and timely pre-storm communications that keep you up to date on the latest weather conditions and potential risks and review protocols and the actions being taken to safely clear your locations.
RELATED CONTENT: COMMERCIAL SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL FAQS
4. Ensure vendors are prepared even in low-probability areas
To ensure your properties remain safely accessible, your partner should not only have snow and ice removal vendors available at each of your sites, but they should also have backups in case the primary vendor fails. This can be especially critical for low-probability areas where snow is less common, and vendors tend to be in short supply. Your partner should also confirm in advance that selected vendors have the right snow and ice removal equipment to complete the job.
Experienced commercial facility managers understand the value of planning ahead. By following these essential steps, you can help mitigate your organization's risk and ensure you’re prepared for the next unexpected storm.
Be Prepared with a Reliable Snow and Ice Removal Partner
Need a trusted snow and ice removal partner? The team at Chain Store Maintenance – an MCS Company, can work with you to meet all of your commercial snow and ice removal needs. Chain Store offers real-time reporting capabilities, enabled by our vendor check-in compliance rate above 90%. Contact your Chain Store account representative or email CSMsales@ChainStore.com to learn more.
