What is "snow blower"

n. (alternative form of snowblower English)

n. a machine that removes snow by scooping it up and throwing it forcefully through a chute [syn: snow thrower]

A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, ice rink, or runway. The misnomer "snow blower" is often used, as the snow is moved using an auger or impeller instead of blowing it. It can use either electric power (line power or battery), or a gasoline or diesel engine to throw snow to another location or into a truck to be hauled away. This is in contrast with the action of snow plows, which push snow to the front or side.

Snow blowers range from the very small, capable of removing only a few inches (a few cm) of light snow in an path, to the very large, mounted onto heavy-duty winter service vehicles and capable of moving wide, or wider, swaths of heavy snow up to deep. Snow blowers can generally be divided into two classes: single-stage and two-stage.