If there’s one thing about snow removal services, it’s that many customers don’t realize they need one until it’s too late.

“Typically people don’t preplan a snowstorm until they actually see it coming,” said Gene Caballero, co-founder of GreenPal, a website and app that helps connect customers to lawn care and snow removal services in the Lehigh Valley and 250 other markets nationwide.

Snow storms over two consecutive January weekends, including one that dropped around a foot on the Valley, have kept landscaping and construction companies that take out snow and ice during their “offseason” pretty busy.

Tom Weber, who owns Christmas City Landscaping & Tree Service in Bethlehem, said he worked nearly 38 consecutive hours Saturday to Monday as his company maintained about a dozen sites in the Valley and western New Jersey.

“It’s a grind, but we’re trained for it,” he said.

He said his staff of four began around 3 a.m. Sunday when the snow started to fall. After clearing an area, snow has to be hauled away.

Weber compared it to the February 2021 storm, when the Lehigh Valley received more than 27 inches. He said that once snow exceeds 7-8 inches, the primary challenge shifts from clearing to relocating and hauling snow to keep the site passable.

“That’s kind of the race around the clock here,” he said.

Getting ahead

Weber said his company handles snow removal for only commercial properties after weaning off service for residences.

Most contracts are signed months in advance, many during the summer, but he’s noticed a growing trend of last-minute requests and an increased public expectation for immediate results.

“Things have evolved in five short years,” Weber said. “People are a little more go, go, go right now. They want things very, very quickly. People just want it done yesterday.”

GreenPal’s Caballero said his company saw a massive uptick in requests as last weekend’s storm stretched from New Mexico to New England, with many places getting more than a foot of snow or heavy layers of ice.

GreenPal, which lists 17-20 companies in the Lehigh Valley, lets homeowners compare bids based on price and a vendor’s ratings from reviews. The service is free for both homeowners and vendors to join.

“We’ve had over 1,000 [homeowner sign-ups] per day the last three days,” Caballero, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee, said this week. “Our timing couldn’t have been perfect for launching the snow removal. So thank you, Mother Nature.”

According to the National Association of Landscaping Professionals, snow removal accounts for an average of 37% of revenue, though it can vary widely by location and severity of each season. While many companies use it as a supplementary, off-season income source, it often becomes a major profit center, representing 35%-45% of business for some.

Safety first

Weber said his company’s top priority is keeping high-traffic essential services, such as doctors’ offices, open and accessible.

“When that wind hits you, when it’s 10 degrees at 3 a.m., it’s quite the reality check,” Weber said.

It brings thoughts to the spring landscaping season.

“One hundred fifty million percent, yes,” Weber said. “I’m not a big fan of winter. I appreciate the warm and hot weather.”

Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.