Winter 2026–27 · Fairfield County, CT

Our snow plan for this winter

Last winter we hand-shoveled about 40 inches of snow, including a 20-inch blizzard. This is what forecasters expect this year, what our sloped driveway needs, and a battery setup that runs on the Ryobi batteries already in our garage.

Snow vs. last winter Likely less Strong El Niño favors below-normal snow along I-95
Cold Mild start, colder Feb Fewer arctic blasts than last year's cold winter
Our cost $708, no batteries The four Ryobi 40V batteries we own are worth $756
01

Less snow than last year, but not none

A very strong El Niño is building in the Pacific. NOAA gives it better than a 90% chance of lasting through winter and about a 75% chance of reaching historic strength. For southern New England that usually means a warmer storm track, more rain-or-mix days and fewer snow days. AccuWeather puts the whole New York–to–Washington corridor in a below-average snow zone.

How this winter should feel

Dec warmWell above normal; rain more likely than snow
Jan mildMild overall, storms along the coast
Feb colderCold air returns; best shot at a big storm
Mar wetLate snow possible, usually wet and heavy

From NOAA's outlook (warm and wet) and The Weather Channel's month-by-month view. AccuWeather flags late January to February for a major East Coast storm. Last winter ran about 4°F colder than normal statewide.

What this means for us: an El Niño winter brings fewer storms, but the ones that hit tend to land right around freezing. That's wet, heavy snow, the hardest kind to shovel by hand, and it turns the plow ridge at the bottom of a driveway into a wall. One storm like last February's makes this purchase worth it.

02

Two kinds of jobs at our house

The deck, steps and walkways are narrow and full of edges and stairs, so they're shovel work. The driveway climbs from the street up to the garage, and the town plow leaves a heavy ridge across the bottom. That's blower work.

03

The recommendation: stay with Ryobi 40V

We already run a Ryobi 40V mower, leaf blower and trimmer, with four batteries and chargers. Ryobi sells most tools "tool only," without a battery, for $100–200 less. Our old DeWalt batteries no longer hold a charge, so DeWalt would mean starting from scratch.

Ryobi 40V 12-inch cordless snow shovel
Buy · for the deck & paths

Ryobi 40V 12" Wheeled Snow Shovel

RY408013BTL · tool only
$289 kit$189tool only, Ryobi list
12"path
6"depth
25 ftthrow
1battery
  • Made for decks, stairs and walkways. Light enough to carry up the deck steps, with wheels to roll it to the next path.
  • Runs on one of our 4Ah batteries, which leaves the 6Ah batteries for the blower.
  • Handles 2–6" storms on its own. In a mild El Niño winter this may be the tool we use most.
  • Owner reviews are mixed, and a few report defects out of the box. Test it right away and keep the receipt.
See it on ryobitools.com
Ryobi 40V HP brushless 18-inch single-stage snow blower
Kit pictured. We'd buy the tool only, without the battery and charger.
Buy · for the driveway

Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 18" Auger-Propelled Snow Blower

RY40HPSN01B · tool only
$619 kit$519tool only, Ryobi list
18"path
12.5"depth
25 ftthrow
46 lbweight
  • Auger-propelled: the spinning auger pulls the machine forward, so nobody has to shove 46 lb up a sloped driveway.
  • Runs on one battery at a time, so we can swap through all four: 20Ah in total, about 2.5× the 8Ah battery Ryobi rates it on.
  • Clears 12.5" in one pass. That covers every storm last winter except the blizzard, which takes two.
  • Small enough to park next to the mower. Five-year warranty.
  • Single-stage blowers can choke on icy plow-ridge chunks. Take the ridge in small bites.
See it on ryobitools.com
Shovel $189 + Blower $519, both tool only Batteries and chargers: $0, we already own them Home Depot usually discounts Ryobi snow tools around Black Friday (the blower was $100 off last year)
$708total, list price
Ryobi 40V HP brushless 21-inch single-stage snow blower
Step-up option

Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 21" Auger-Propelled Snow Blower

RY40HPSN02B · tool only
$849 kit$649tool only, Ryobi list
21"path
11.5"depth
35 ftthrow
2batteries
  • More power and a longer throw. Better against the plow ridge, and it throws snow well clear of the street.
  • Runs our two 6Ah batteries together, then the two 4Ah as a second set. The kit's two 8Ah batteries are where the extra $200 goes.
  • $130 more than the 18" and heavier. Probably overkill if this winter really is light.
See it on ryobitools.com
04

The batteries we already own

These came with the mower, leaf blower and trimmer. Every Ryobi 40V tool takes every Ryobi 40V battery, so the snow tools can use them too.

Ryobi 40V 6Ah lithium battery
2× 40V 6Ah

$219 each new · OP4060A1

Blower
Ryobi 40V 4Ah lithium battery
2× 40V 4Ah

$159 each new · OP4040A1

Shovel + spare

Tool only vs. buying the kits

12" shovel
$289$189
18" blower
$619$519
Kit with battery + chargerTool only (what we'd buy)

Ryobi list prices, October 2026. If we were starting from zero, the two kits would cost $908 and still leave us with fewer batteries than we have now.

Saved by buying tool only
$200
Batteries we already own, at today's prices
$756

2 × $219 + 2 × $159. Choosing another brand means leaving all of that in the garage and buying a new set.

Cold-weather tip: keep the batteries inside the house, not in the garage. Lithium batteries lose a good share of their runtime when they're cold.

05

Other brands we checked

These are well reviewed, and a couple are stronger than the Ryobi. Each one runs on its own battery system, which adds $200–400 and another charger.

ToolWhy it's goodDrawback for usPrice (kit)
EGO 56V 12" Snow Shovel
SNS1201		Strongest hands-on reviews of any electric shovel. Cleared a 3-car driveway of 6" on one charge.New battery platform$265–360
EGO 56V 21" Peak Power
Bob Vila · Best Lightweight		Handled heavy wet snow and threw it about 40 ftNeeds two EGO batteries$650–910
Toro 60V Power Clear e21
Bob Vila · Best Heavy-Duty		Reviewers rate its auger best for wet snowTop-heavy; 3-hour charge$700–750
Snow Joe 48V 18" Ionmax
Bob Vila · Best Value		Light at 37 lb, inexpensiveBest on flat ground, weaker on a slope≈ $400

Skipped on purpose: two-stage blowers (Ryobi 22" at 136 lb, Toro e24 at 172 lb) are built for long driveways and are too big for ours. We also skipped attachment-style snow throwers and the DeWalt 60V blower, since our DeWalt batteries no longer hold a charge.

06

Does it pay for itself?

Put in what hiring help would actually cost. The starting numbers are examples, not quotes.

2.4winters to pay back

Hiring help would cost about $300 a winter, or $1,500 over five winters.

The bar shows payback against five winters. The blower carries a five-year warranty.

This doesn't count the hours of shoveling, sore backs, or the strain of shoveling heavy wet snow, which doctors warn is hard on the heart.

07

The short version

Last winter was rough

About 40", a third above normal, with storms of 13" and 20".

This winter's snow is heavier

Fewer storms, but wetter snow, and a big February storm is still possible.

$756 of batteries already paid for

Buying tool only saves $200, and we use the four batteries we have.

Push-button start

Quiet, no gas or pull-cord. Anyone in the house can use it.

Buy before the first storm

Blowers sell out once snow is in the forecast, and holiday sales come first.