Nova Scotia's RECORD BREAKING STORM~ Snow Plowing

We had a Record Breaking Storm in Nova Scotia this past weekend! It dumped over 100 cm of snow on many parts of the province! There were lots of challenges! I hope you enjoy the video!
Thank you,
JimHowDigsDirt
Location: Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada
February 2024
2023/2024 Plow Season
Mailing Address:
JimHow Digs Dirt
PO Box 1698
Stellarton, NS, CAN
B0K1S0

[@The1crazycaper]

I'm in Sydney Nova Scotia and we got 150 cm's in the first storm then we got 50 cm's in the second one. Stay safe out there.

[@tkeay37]

I have been waiting for this!!!!!

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Me too! I love a good snowstorm. I just wish my truck wasn't in the ditch so i could do more plowing!

[@4x4offroaders]

I dont live to far form wear you where plowing thank you for the job that you do Westville NS

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thank you! Be safe!

[@realemonful]

I plowed snow for 2 years here in Ontario and I was asked to plow again this year but thankfully it's been a very mild winter; "so far, anyways"... and I have NEVER seen that much snow before... That is CRAZY!!!

[@dirkus3722]

The last time I saw snow like this here in Michigan was the "Blizzard of 1978." I was only 3 or 4 at the time and I remember walking on the crust on top of the snow when it gave out and I sank over my head. Thankfully it was just in our front yard and my sister clambered over and pulled me out lol. Glad you survived your little camp out in the ditch.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Was the snow really that deep back then or was it was because we were all much shorter? lol Just kidding, it sure doesn't snow like it used to.

[@donofchron4204]

Every snowstorm video I see, I see people commenting on the storm of "78" 😂

[@wbball15]

Good to see the Bobcat footage

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thank you! Glad you like it!

[@Tbird1549]

That sure was a nasty storm! Glad you are ok. Stay safe and stay healthy!

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thank you Tbird!

[@CanadasOceanPlayground]

tough storm , more coming this week, be safe Jim

[@bigjoesburgers]

Thanks for all you do. Green grass and 15° here in sou ontario.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Oh wow!

[@ezpstarwars]

I also have been highly anticipating this video !! I’m a rookie snow plow operator on the west coast so haven’t had much chance to get a lot of action. Great to watch you in the thick of it !!

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Right on! Hope you get some snow soon!

[@tomvarano3283]

Wow Jim look is like you had a fun time. The only good thing is no traffic. Very luck the plow was the only damage. It is crazy the will all the weight of the trucks they get sucked right in and the operator is just going for a ride. Reminds me of the Christmas Blizzard of 2022. 👍👍👍

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thanks Tom! Most people hate seeing this much snow but I find it kinda fun!

[@tomvarano3283]

Yes it is fun and challenging. It is very difficult when there are stuck vehicles large and small to deal with. This video also showed sometimes your 10 wheeler plow truck needs help. I know you will be doing a lot of shelf techniques of the snow banks, drift management and making room. Also hopefully a slow steady thaw to get caught up

[@12peter96]

Been waiting for this! Can’t wait to see the next videos of v blades and towing everything! Few ploughs got stuck so bad that Sunday evening that Chapman Bro’s walked a 321 excavator ~15kms to dig them out. Was wild seeing it drive right down Main Street in Souris during the storm

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Yeah, it's not very often you see excavators shoveling snow!

[@jackseamon7064]

Murphy's Law: Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. I've seen lots of good drivers get stuck just because the plows either load up with snow and can't discharge it, plows load up with snow and the driver is forced to steer into the banking which gives way and trucks goes into the ditch, or ice causes the truck to slip when the plow is full. Wow! What a storm! Hat's off to you men up there.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thanks Jack! You never know where or when you will get stuck when plowing in these conditions!

[@netw3rkd]

Glad you made out alright, stay warm bud! Love seeing the shots of you going along from your better-half I assume? Thanks for sharing your work!

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

You bet! My better-half does get some great shots !

[@bigjoesburgers]

Time to get the loader mounted snowblowers out.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Wish we had one at times like this!

[@DManGrand]

That's a lot of snow....stay safe and warm... Think spring...

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thanks Dman! The groundhog says spring is just around the corner!

[@sinsloth12]

I was waiting for this video. Great stuff! thanks

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Glad you liked it!

[@kennyp507]

Great to see plow fan cam 1 going strong!!!

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Glad you enjoyed it Kenny!

[@gillbujold1918]

I was waiting for this video.. figured you would not have time to edit it for a few days. Man I wish we would get some of that snow here in Ontario.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

More to come! Getting another foot of snow starting Tuesday!

[@Asheso80]

Absolutely fascinated by NS snow plows, always wanted to drive one ! This video is the best thing I have watched on the internet in a while ! Thanks for Sharing !

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thank you Asheso80, I appreciate the kind words! Take care my friend!

[@Asheso80]

@@JimHowDigsDirtI have a question, what does “deadheading” mean on the plow tracker map. The rest of the smites make sense like “spreading” “plowing” and “travel”

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

They changed the Plow Tracker this year and I find it more confusing. I don't have a clue what they mean by Deadheading and keep forgetting to ask my boss to see if he knows the answer. I will try to find out as I would really like to know as well!

[@Asheso80]

@@JimHowDigsDirtawesome thanks ! So that answers my next question, you guys don’t manually update yourselves as drivers then ?

[@jonnymac8925]

Deadheading meana bobtailing (traveling without a trailer) or in your case you are empty so maybe that's the plows that are out of salt and on the way back to the shed?

[@bradanderson1627]

Well Jim that looked like ! Glad you made Er out thanks for sharing your hell 😱

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

You bet

[@lindagraff4842]

I'm in Manitoba, and every year I cannot believe how much snow you get out there. Today is Feb. 20, 2024, when I'm watching this. 0lease take care and stay safe.

[@ryanquackenbush7475]

Great video

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@randyfarris775]

Need to bring back the big FWD's with V blades we had in the late seventies and early eighties. They use to pull each other out. We got about 22 centimeters here in the valley from that same storm.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Those old trucks were pretty awesome back when we had lots of snow. Some of the old timers I worked with said the 6x6 Western Star wasn't near as good at plowing deep snow as those old FWD's.

[@1954crc]

That's a lot of snow!

[@davestelling]

P.S. Wow, Jim - what a night you had! Glad all turned out good. Thought I saw a cat or two there at your house? Enjoyed hearing you telling that group of deer to "Stay off the road!" lol. This has to be one of your best episodes, even though I like every one. Another significant snow event about to happen over your neck of the woods, so - good luck to you and try to stay safe! Bet your wife was some worried for you while you were stranded out at your truck...

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Yeah Dave we have two cats and a kitten indoors. They are starting to get bored because they can't get to the woods with all this snow. My wife was getting a little worried for me as she could see that I wasn't moving on Plow Tracker and I had no cell coverage where I was, unless I walked up the hill. She was quite relieved when I finally got a signal and was able to call her.

[@robertmintz63]

I was in Flint Michigan in 66/67 , we were supposed to get 2-4” we got 24” ; in one night , it took them about 3 days to clean it up

[@scottnyc6572]

That one will definitely go down in the record books.Glad you were ok.We’re due for a snow storm tomorrow night,first really heavy snow,at least for coastal area.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Yes, it was definitely one for the record books! Hope you stay safe during this next storm!

[@jimsmith9819]

good to see another snowplowing video from you. stay safe up there and stay out of the ditch

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thank you Jim! I will do my best!

[@tysonwalsh8193]

Snow like that you don’t waste the salt keep the weight on the truck

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

You got that right!

[@SCAustin]

Been waiting for this video. Between your area, Halifax and Cape Breton you guys got it all. Those Western Stars are so impressive. Cumberland used to have one with a double wing setup. What a beast. Thanks for sharing and stay safe. PS. Thought that was a NB Truck 😊

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Awesome thank you! Yes, we did have some New Brunswick plow trucks and loaders come over to help battle this storm.

[@Bizness10]

You don't think the loader could've got you out? Meanwhile, in Southern Ont it was 17° on Friday and zero snow. Crazy winter we're having.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

No, I think it is too icy underneath to tow it out. And the truck is hung up on some pretty heavy snow.

[@user-vy3fk8nw8r]

HEY JIM THIS US GOOD STUFF. TOOK A SNOW STORM BUT WE GOT0N THE MAP. THANKS JIM.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

We finally made it, lol.

[@BurchellAtTheWharf]

Man, theres nothing like a classic Nova Scotian winter ❄️❄️😊

[@BurchellAtTheWharf]

5:37 the wind can take a bit of the fun out of plowing I can imagine

[@BurchellAtTheWharf]

20:58 be safe out there man, we appreciate you and the crew for all the work you lads do

[@BurchellAtTheWharf]

22:54 man ain't that the Nova Scotia way, if you want something done, sometimes you just gotta do it your self 😉

[@theceilidhmen]

I'd love to see footage of how you guys were able to break through at the Antigonish / Pictou Co. line on Hwy 245 in Knoydart if you were out that way at all during the storm Jim.

[@DanSmith-qx4nl]

Four feet of DENSE SNOW. That is wild!

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

It sure was Dan! Thanks for watching!

[@robertmintz63]

I have talked with you before , Jim . I was the wing man on the plow truck 72-74 in Ont. Can; also drove the grader with a fron bull blade, punching out turn arounds & winging down the high banks. One time in the spring when sections of the ice pack on the road road was melting in spots, the slusher dug in & proceded to shoot us sideways , but I was expecting such & was ready, snapped that plow off the road , the driver thanked me , or we would have been in the swamp ! I mentioned before that if any of us got stuck, the other truck would take on a full load of sand & come pull us out , or I would go with the grader if necessary , but that never happened . One time after an ice storm we were sanding got to the top of a hill where to road slanted to the left & the truck just slid sideways , there as a 2’ drop there, so I went back to the shop & took the John Deer 544A full bucket of sand & drove it back to our truck (about 5 miles) spread the sand &proceeded to lift the front of the truck back onto the road , the toed it back onto the road. When you took your loader & pulled the one truck out , why did you not hook it to the one off the road & then the loader to it & everyone would have been out !

[@user-gj1eu5mr6t]

Meanwhile here I am in SW New Brunswick and have yet to start the snowblower this winter. Weird weather this winter.

[@nickknee3515]

That storm was insane. I plow over in Maine and we just missed out on this one, kinda wished we did get some of it cause I live in a ski and snowmobile town and we could've used the snow that we've been lacking this year but being stuck, in a truck, in a ditch for 8 hours dosen't sound fun. We had an ice storm earlier this year where we had to keep on top of the ice dumping the salt right to it all night long with no night crew and trying to get a half hour of sleep in a freightliner isn't easy.

[@ivanhoebeaupre4468]

nice video

[@clayboist]

Hope you packed a big lunch!!

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Always!

[@AbderrahmaneSadek-py9us]

You are doing a great job and I would love to help you

[@jjr897]

Sitting here, waiting for it to snow as I plow the roads also but we are only going to get about 6 inches nothing like what you guys get.

[@saltycowgirl]

that check engine light has me worried... lol... great video

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

I told them about it a few times now. They said they have to take it back to the dealer to have it checked out but it hasn't happened yet.

[@1958johndeere620]

When I plowed for a municipality we never left a truck off the road. We always self extricated. If it took 3 trucks and a loader to get out we always got the truck back in service. My son works for the state DOT and they will strand a truck for hours waiting for a tow, when they could just go yank it out. 2 different trains of thought.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Yeah, I wish they could have got me back on the road as I love the challenge of plowing in these conditions. Worse storm I've seen in a long time!

[@PAYNEKILLER..]

Those sanders look so complicated compared to ours.

[@DMSparky]

In the Scandinavian countries I’ve seen them use studded tires on their plows Nokian Hakkapeliitta E2. When you compare the price of the tire compared to the downtime of having trucks in the ditch and wreckers pulling them out seems like a no brainer.

[@drewgoody2957]

i cant belive that grader didnt have carbide studs in tires when you have snow luke that .... tire prep is so important glad your ok

[@martymorse2]

I hope this storm on Valentines Day misses you. You guys deserve a break.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

My truck was stuck most of that last storm so I'm kinda looking forward to this one! Maybe I'm just nuts, lol.

[@user-dm2oc8ve9q]

Very deep snow

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Yes we had over 100 centimeters during this storm.

[@fastst1]

Got it piled on heavy, 21mm of snow in 5 or 6 hours! ground is completely un-frozen and pushing on dirt is well, you know. Rain later in the week and I might mow the lawn. Let me take the plow off and wash the truck, that'll do it. Need a friendly neighbor with a ring-chained timberjack to haul you back onto the roadway!

[@kamiljay2697]

damn driving all night has to be exhausting

[@pi1797]

Wow that is a lot of snow. Do you miss your Western Star 6x6 ? What was the final amount of snow that fell ? Stay safe.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

I do miss the Star during storms like this, but that Mack is way more comfortable and I have a lot less fatigue when plowing snow.

[@GlobalistJuice]

Without the men who do the work nobody else wants to do - or won't do for hours on end - in inclement weather or unfavorable conditions, well... I'm not sure what would happen. Thanks! 👍

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Well said!

[@jonnymac8925]

We got smoked here in Cape Breton. My semi was hurried for 6 days before the local municipality could get to me and that was only because I reached out to two guys I know that plow for the town and they came and dug me out with a loader and an backhoe and boy was there a lot of snow! I got to my trailer and it was buried so I had to get a wrecker to pull me 5 feet so I wouldn't be stuck! The plows, from loaders to tractors, bobcats, graders, pick up trucks and even wreckers had been getting stuck everywhere. The wrecker that pulled me out said that they had 52 calls to winch ambulances and heavy equipment out wheI the ambulance would either get stuck and the plow would get stuck trying to get to the ambulances, or the plows would get stuck trying to plow the way for the ambulance. 52 calls for ambulances stuck in 48 hours is both impressive and scary. It shows how much snow we got and how dangerous it is is/was. Needing an ambulance and the ambulance not being able to get there is fucked. You guys are the unsung heroes in this shit!

[@BrennanDL]

I plow over in central PEI. My plow truck couldn’t even make it out of my driveway so I had to get my co worker to pick me up and take me down to work to get a loader with a Vblade. I spent a good day and a bit in that trying to clear the roads.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

But did you have fun? I love plowing big snow!

[@BrennanDL]

@@JimHowDigsDirt I had an absolute blast! I love seeing the snow go flying as I’m blasting through a drift with the Vblade

[@bc900]

That sounds like a good opportunity for a loader. Guessing you are a bit further out than a loader was available. I do airfield snow removal in North Dakota and I can relate to drifting pushing you off to the sides. Hope that bobcat t190 has heat. What temperatures were you experiencing during the snow storm? Great video footage. Keep up the good work and stay safe. Your friend from North Dakota.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Yeah you are right! All the gear was either to far away or stuck that night. A lot of roads were blocked and we even had a few graders stuck in the ditch. It wasn't real cold, just below freezing by a few degrees.Thanks for the comment and stay safe my friend!

[@funbags6471]

Crazy how bad you guys got hit and in my part of NB we got nothing, hard to believe.

[@Military-Museum-LP]

Good thing she stopped where she did.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

He was lucky!

[@shawnwaller6339]

Howie I thought you would have had a snowplow for your skid steer.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

I only use it for plowing my own yard so I make due with just my greedy board on the bucket.

[@davestelling]

Do any of the county trucks have emergency gear/supplies on board; food-water, sleeping bag, etc for instances where you might have to just hunker down for the night wherever you are?

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

We don't keep any food or sleeping bags in our trucks, so I always make sure I take lots food and water with me when I go out plowing.As they say, it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it! Thanks for your comments Dave!

[@lucmarchand617]

Jim what kind brand use this type tire on front trucks and they are good on steering because i never see this before.thanks😮

[@user-dm2oc8ve9q]

Good thing the mack is a 6x6 or u would be burning up transmissions like crazy

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

The Mack is only a tandem not a 6x6

[@user-dm2oc8ve9q]

@@JimHowDigsDirt so mack struggled a little bit huh

[@Military-Museum-LP]

Might be looking for a blower for that bobcat, no?

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

No, it would be nice but not worth it for me as I only plow my own driveway in the winter and we don't usually get this much snow!

[@StoneLegion]

can you use a normal what is it called ODB Reader to see the engine check light? Just be fun to see what the Error code is.

[@wayneboulier6107]

Sorry the truck went into the ditch but those things happen in a bad storm

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thanks Wayne! There were quite a few trucks on the hook during this big storm. Goes with the territory!

[@rickvaiBBB]

Everything about that video was fantastic and your honestly of sliding off the road was not a good thing for you, it was for all of us watching the video.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Thanks for that! I appreciate you watching and commenting!

[@sjoeld57]

I notice you had a nice LED flashlight when you were with the truck. What brand of light is that? It looked bright!

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

That's one they gave me at work for the truck. It's a Mastercraft 180-Lumen Handheld Waterproof Spotlight from Canadian Tire and cost just $14.99. And it has a USB charge cable to recharge it in your vehicle.

[@sjoeld57]

Thanks Jim. It's good that they provide useful equipment for you guys.

[@chrisgramstorff996]

Wow that’s crazy snow , that’s a super bright flashlight

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Mastercraft 180-Lumen Handheld Waterproof Spotlight only $14.99 at Crappy Tire.

[@theanalmarauder]

How much do they pay you guys? I do this in Ontario, loads of fun but it could be paid better.

[@sassyelmer]

There was a lot of us in NB that had volunteered to come with our assets. Some with vee plows. We were pretty well ready to go when the powers that be decided 3 was enough 🤷

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

We had three New Brunswick truck at our base. Was that the only ones sent down here?

[@sassyelmer]

​According to the press release they said they sent 3

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Played to play, ya gotta love it, lol.

[@mikebonnett7730]

A little off subject but are the Canadian wildfires out now with all the snow

[@svernwarunos546]

That's what canada looks like,,? We don't have that where we're from.

[@michealwhynot]

A person would think the the tow truck would make it mandatory to haul you guys out asap

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

They couldn't keep up with the demand during this storm. A friend of mine runs one of the wreckers and was so busy towing our trucks out only had 3 or 4 hours sleep in three days. It was crazy out there!

[@jimturtle6223]

Chains on grader?. Just curious...

[@guyh.4121]

Some jurisdictions allow it some don’t. Where I used to plow snow chains weren’t allowed.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

I can see chains on the back wheels but not sure about the front ones.

[@greenidguy9292]

So you fellas don’t plow four lane roads since you have a single direction plow I take it? GPS on your trucks and live feed cameras like we have in the states? Stay safe brother!

[@donofchron4204]

This channel should be called "JimHowTakesBreaks"😂. No wonder it takes government so long to get anything done.😂

[@OpenAirAdventure]

She was a dandy

[@noraleestone2859]

Well! Of all the nerve! I click on this video to watch you plow snow, and instead you're sitting in a ditch! 😲🙄😂😂😂 Just kidding. 😉 Wasn't your fault, although it could be argued that you jinxed yourself in the previous video by saying it was the most snow you'd had all winter. 🤣🤣🤣 Never, NEVER tempt Mother Nature. 😂😝 I'm glad you're okay, and neither you nor your truck suffered irreparable damage. I got my plowing fix watching you on the Skid Steer, eh. 😁 See you next snow storm. 🤩🤗💖👍👋

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Stay tuned! More snow on the way starting this evening!

[@Ironminer97]

You were supposed to walk up to up to your partner and tell him that he couldnt park there😂

[@rollingcoal9500]

I think your old 6x6 would done better. My opinion

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Definitely would have been more fun! Not near as comfortable as the Mack tho.

[@user-mh2wn4ie8q]

А почему грейдер не помог, он мог свободно вытянуть трак. 👍👍👍

[@guyh.4121]

A wrecker was called. Sometimes the bosses don’t want the possibility of breaking Two pieces of equipment. Depends on where you work.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Грейдер не смог пройти мимо меня, потому что под ним был слишком ледяной покров, да и у него не хватило тяги, чтобы меня вытащить.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Yeah that's right! Our policy at work is we are not allowed to pull each other out. We have to call a wrecker so things don't get broke.

[@user-mh2wn4ie8q]

Спасибо за ответ. 🤝

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

Vi estas tute bonvena! Dankon pro komento!

[@curtb.9450]

I thought michigan was bad when we get snow you guys have it worse than use

[@TheOriginalAndysGarage]

Hey you're not supposed to be driving a commercial vehicle with a check engine light on

[@RodMac1]

what kind of a government leaves a man on his own for more then 8hrs in a stranded ditched truck in a snowstorm complete ridiculous

[@CCscott]

Crappy way to make overtime! Hope you had an extra sandwich packed. 😮

[@richardmeyer7018]

What did you want them to do. It was a storm

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

I was sent out to wait for the wrecker. After they found out it couldn't get to me, my ride got stuck when he was coming to pick me up.

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

No overtime, but I had a full tank of fuel and my lunch can was full. Plus the farmer down the road came over and offered me coffee and food if I wanted it.

[@CCscott]

@@JimHowDigsDirt We haven’t had hardly any snow this winter in southern NY but I greatly admire the work you do.

[@debibliss6541]

No disrespect, but you have a whole truck full of sand....

[@JimHowDigsDirt]

No sand, I think there was about 4 or 5 ton of salt still in the hopper.

[@dski8097]

But But climate change blah blah.