Winter Storm Leaves Tri-Cities Without Snow Shovels? We Checked

Especially if your neighbor jacked yours during the LAST big snowstorm, or you just never bought one, now is NOT the time to be looking!

With the National Weather Service predicting another 3-6 inches of snow coming Wednesday, we called a number of major retailers to find who still actually had snow shovels in stock. Here's what we found:

• COMPLETELY OUT - Lowe's Pasco and Kennewick, Fred Meyer Kennewick, Ranch and Home Kennewick, Shopko Kennewick, and several other stores as well.
• Just a few left:  Home Depot in Kennewick, as of Tuesday at noon, had about ten. But they are expecting a shipment of freight that will include ice melt later today or this evening.
• However, if you're willing to bend over a little further, or make the kids to the work, Lowe's and Shopko had the little pink kiddie shovels in stock. Hey, give them an allowance and let them shovel!  One worker at one of the stores said it's best to try a smaller store, one that people usually don't think of. Sometimes they will still have them.

But actually, there is a way to make your own home improvised shovel.  Take a piece of plywood, scrap, cut it to about two feet wide by a foot across.  If you can, cut two pieces that size. Screw and glue them together to form a thick sheet.

Then take a 2x4, drill at least two or three holes in the plywood and the 2x4. Run some carriage bolts (sturdy ones) with washers and nuts on the other end.  Tighten thoroughly.  If you want, spray or coat with shellac or Thompson's Water seal.  PRESTO!  Instant homemade shovel.

However, keep in mind, these work best when the snow is fresh, and new.  They don't work well for chipping away at pounded or compact snow and ice. But we've done it before, and they've worked.

In the meantime, we are going to get our our metal curved snowplow style shovel and get ready for tomorrow.  It's hidden somewhere on my property, so don't even think of trying to steal it.