Can You Use A Leaf Blower To Get Snow Off Your Car?

Whether you love it or loathe it, winter weather is a an all but unavoidable yearly occurrence if you live in certain parts of the world. Unfortunately, there's very little you can do to prevent snow and ice from affecting your daily routine during this time of year, though there are measures you can take to avoid car troubles in the cold. Whatever the case, when snowy weather hits the sidewalks, roadways, and driveways of the world, we concern ourselves primarily with its expeditious removal.

There are, of course, a number of different ways to go about removing snow after it's fallen. That list includes using items like shovels, brushes, ice scrapers, snow melting compounds, and even snow blowers from one of the notable major brands. But in the end, most of those won't work on an automobile, as compounds, shovels and sidewalk-sized snow blowers would do more damage than good on windshields and paint jobs.

There is, however, one tool you may not have considered as a snow removal device that could work, and you may already have one in your garage or storage shed. That device is a leaf blower, which, in certain circumstances, can indeed be used to rid your car of snow when foul weather strikes. To a lesser degree, it may also help clear your driveway so that you can get your car out and about, though a shovel is still the more effective method. 

Before we move on, we should reiterate the "in certain circumstances" part of those snow removal claims. A key part of the equation is, of course, the capabilities of the leaf blower itself. For instance, some of the little handheld blowers designed to remove leaves from smaller patios and sidewalks may not boast enough cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air flow, or raw MPH of air force, to move something with more volume like snow.

Even assuming that you are using one of the better leaf blowers currently available on the consumer market, there's still no guarantee that it will be able to handle snow fall that might accumulate on your car, truck, or SUV. However, if you are dealing with a drier, more powdery sort of snow, a leaf blower should easily be able to remove it from the vehicle's hood, windshield, bumpers, and tires. As noted, in this scenario, it may also be able to remove some of the snow accumulated around the tires in your driveway, making it easier for you to move your car.

Keep in mind that a leaf blower will not do much to aid in the removal of ice that has accumulated on the vehicle's windows. Likewise, a leaf blower may struggle to remove excessively wet, compacted, or frozen-over snow. On top of that, if you are using a leaf blower for snow removal, you'll need to be careful with the wiper blades, which may be damaged by excessive wind force.