Shoveling wet snow can be back-breaking labor—sometimes literally. The BYB team mostly live in colder areas, and like many of you we see a lot of snow in a winter. So we gathered up all our best snowblowers and determined which are most effective for removing heavy, wet snow.

The YARDMAX YB6770 Two-Stage Snow Blower is our top choice for wet snow. The YARDMAX not only offers an extra-wide mouth to clear wide paths of snow, it works well against the heaviest snow Mother Nature can spit at you. It includes all the standard features you've come to expect of a snow blower, but it goes a few steps further with heated handgrips, headlights, and a cup holder. To make it an even sweeter deal, this snow blower is also affordable and includes a three-year warranty.

We have other favorites for more specialized clearing needs. We like the Briggs & Stratton 1696614 Dual-Stage Snow Thrower for its lighter overall weight and easy maneuvering, and the Husqvarna ST224 Two-Stage Snow Blower for its powerful build and ability to tackle deep, wet snowbanks. With the durable, powerful snowblowers reviewed in this comprehensive guide on the best snow blowers for wet snow, you'll have no trouble clearing the way out of your house, and toward better winters.

BACKYARD BOSS TOP THREE SNOWBLOWERS FOR WET SNOW [WINTER 2020-21]

PRODUCT

FEATURES

YARDMAX YB6770 Two-Stage Snow Blower - $$title$$

YARDMAX YB6770 Two-Stage Snow Blower

  • Self-propelling: 6 forward speeds; 2 reverse speeds
  • Clearance: 26 inches wide, 21 inches deep
  • Warranty: 3 years

Check The Price!

Husqvarna ST224 Two-Stage Snow Blower - $$title$$

Husqvarna ST224 Two-Stage Snow Blower

  • Self-propelling: 6 forward speeds; 1 reverse speed
  • Clearance: 23 inches wide, 24 inches deep
  • Warranty: 1 year

Check The Price!

Briggs & Stratton 1696614 Dual-Stage Snow Thrower - $$title$$

Briggs & Stratton 1696614 Dual-Stage Snow Thrower

  • Self-propelling: 4 forward speeds; 2 reverse speeds
  • Clearance: 24 inches wide, 20 inches deep
  • Warranty: 3 years

Check The Price!

BEST SNOWBLOWER FOR MOST WET SNOW

YARDMAX YB6770 Two-Stage Snow Blower

    YARDMAX went above and beyond with this two-stage snow blower that features heated handgrips, headlights, a cup holder, self-propulsion and lots of other convenient features.

      Pros:

    • Extra-wide mouth
    • Convenient comfort features
    • Good for all kinds of snow
      Cons:

    • Needs assembly
    • Metal “shoes”

WHY WE LIKE IT: When it comes to snow blowers, YARDMAX pulls out all the stops. With an intake height of 21 inches, this snow blower has pretty standard intake abilities. However, it can handle snowbanks that are much taller than 21 inches. It also has a 26-inch clearing width which is fairly impressive, and great for larger pathways, driveways, and areas in general.

This snow blower isn't just powerful, it's also comfortable and convenient to use, with self-propulsion that makes pushing it much easier, an electric push start button which cuts down on the time you're outside, heated handgrips to help you deal with biting winter cold, and even a cup holder for the all-important hot coffee or cocoa to keep you warm on the inside, too.

The dashboard has a headlight, so you can see what you're doing, day or night. This snow blower also functions on all kinds of terrains and can work through all kinds of snow. You even get a three-year warranty, should anything go wrong because of a defective part or unit.

The only downsides to this snow blower are that you have to assemble it, and it has metal "shoes," which means the bottom of the mouth may scrape surfaces.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: If you need a snow blower that can get rid of almost any kind of snow from your walkways and driveway, this could be the best choice for you.

MOST POWERFUL SNOWBLOWER FOR DEEP WET SNOW

Husqvarna ST224 Two-Stage Snow Blower

    If you’re looking for an affordable snow blower that can take on snow banks up to 2 feet in height, this powerful machine is an excellent option for you.

      Pros:

    • Gets down to the pavement
    • Decent headlights and heated handgrips
    • Good for tall, heavy snow banks
      Cons:

    • Short warranty
    • Difficult to push
    • Metal chute

WHY WE LIKE IT: If you are looking for a snowblower option that doesn't make any concessions when it comes to power, the Husqvarna ST224 Two-Stage Snow Blower could be the best model for you. Although it's available at an affordable price, it has a strong 208cc engine that's more than capable of munching through mounds of wet, heavy snow.

With a 24-inch clearing width and a 23-inch intake height, this snow blower is capable of taking on snowbanks up to 2 feet in height. If this 240-pound monster outweighs you, it may be tough to move around, but the six forward speeds help a bit.

Unfortunately, it does have a metal chute, which makes it susceptible to rust and paint chipping off. In fact, the chute is not only susceptible to these problems, rather it's inevitable that they will occur. However, the other parts of this snow blower are built well and are capable of withstanding a rock or two that they may pick up.

You probably will pick some rocks up because this snow blower is capable of clearing snow out all the way down to the pavement. This is great news for people who hate having to follow their snow blower up with a shovel.

You get a couple of headlights built-in on this thing, which means you can clear snow whenever the mood strikes you, day or night. Plus, the heated handgrips make the whole chore of snow removal a little less uncomfortable. You only get one year of warranty protection on this machine, so if something is acting up, jump on getting it fixed as soon as you can.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: If you need an affordable snow blower that can handle the kind of snow that Northerners see every winter, this is a great choice.

BEST EASY-TO-MANEUVER SNOWBLOWER FOR WET SNOW

Briggs & Stratton 1696614 Dual-Stage Snow Thrower

    Easily and efficiently powering through heavy and wet snow, this dual-stage snow blower is more than capable of taking on drifts up to 2 feet in height in one pass.

      Pros:

    • Works well on wet snow
    • Easy to maneuver
    • Starts easily
      Cons:

    • Assembly takes a while
    • Slows down a little with icy snow

WHY WE LIKE IT: One look at the frighteningly sharp blades on the auger of this Briggs & Stratton dual-stage snow blower and you'll know that this snow blower can handle any kind of snow, whether it's compacted into a tall snowbank, heavy and wet, or even iced over. However, it should be noted that this machine's specialty is wet snow, so icy snow may take much more time to work through.

Snow that's wet, even to the point of being slush, is easy for this machine to handle quickly and efficiently. With a wide 24-inch clearing width you'll be able to get away with doing just one pass over sidewalks and pathways.

It's 20-inch tall intake height means you can take up to two feet of snowdrifts in just one move. Compared to other snow blowers, it's fairly lightweight at just 184 pounds. It also benefits from a self-propelled feature which makes pushing it a breeze.

While this snow blower is largely hassle-free, you may struggle with assembling it. It can take some time so make sure that you order this snow blower before a snowfall is actually predicted so you'll have plenty of time to put it together and call customer support in case you have any trouble.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: Anyone who needs a solid machine each winter for moving a lot of wet snow, but needs simpler maneuverability and a lighter machine.

BEST COMPACT SNOWBLOWER FOR WET SNOW

Ariens Compact Two-Stage Snow Blower

    Whether you’re dealing with tall snow banks, or slippery and uneven terrain, this compact snow blower will get the job done efficiently and quickly.

      Pros:

    • Handles snow banks taller than it
    • Great for steep driveways
    • Long warranty
      Cons:

    • Hard to turn
    • Headlight is weak

WHY WE LIKE IT: While this snow blower may be much more compact than other Ariens models, it's an absolute beast, benefiting from the advantages of a more compact size and the power of a snowblower much larger than it.

It has an intake height of about 20 inches tall, however, it can handles banks much larger, making it an excellent option for severe snowstorms where feet of snow are dumped on an area. It also has a fairly sizable clearing width of 24 inches.

Because of this model's electric start, you can easily get it going by pulling its cord one or two times. You can then take advantage of its six forward speeds and 2 reverse speeds, which allow you to adjust this model's pace based on your preferences. The reverse is a bit slow, but having two options is extremely helpful for moving around this weighty model.

Weighing in at 370 pounds, this is the heaviest snow blower on this list. Thankfully, it is self-propelling, like most other two-stage snow blowers, which takes the burden of pushing all 370 pounds of it off you.

Interestingly, this blower unit has no tires, but in place, it has tracks. This makes it easier to move around on uneven terrain, but it also makes it a pain to turn. Many of the blowers on the market today include a headlight, and this Ariens is no exception, but the light is weak, and it won't light up the night or dawn sky very well.

Otherwise, this durable machine will revolutionize how you deal with snow for a long time. It's built to last with an impressive 3-year warranty.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: For uneven surfaces and lots of wet, heavy snow, this Ariens blower unit may be your best choice.

BEST AFFORDABLE SNOWTHROWER FOR WET SNOWBANKS

Troy-Bilt Storm 2625 Two-Stage Snow Thrower

    Being specifically designed to power through wet, heavy snow, this beast of a machine is best for people who experience frequent, heavy snowfalls.

      Pros:

    • Quieter than most snow blowers
    • Built to handle wet snow
    • Great for icy snow banks
      Cons:

    • Expensive
    • Doesn't work on fluffy snow

WHY WE LIKE IT: If you want a snow blower that is solely good for dealing with wet, heavy snow then you'll love the Troy-Bilt Storm 2625 Two-Stage Snow Thrower. It makes quick work of heavy snow banks because it was specifically designed to deal with them.

Like any two-stage snow blower, the Troy-Bilt Storm 2625 is going to require consistent maintenance because it's a model that runs on gas and engine oil. While this may be viewed as a downside for you, you'll be hard-pressed to find an electric model that is even remotely as efficient at blowing through heavy snow as this one.

While this is a gas model, it's much quieter than other two-stage snow blowers, which will be music to your neighbors ears, especially if you like to clear away snow at night or in the early morning. It features an electric start which means you won't have to pull again and again on a cord to get it going.

The six forward speeds on this self-propelled snow-munching beast is going to make quick work of the snow that's piling up on your driveway. At 26 inches wide, the mouth of this Troy-Bilt snow blower is one of the wider ones on the market. It can munch down on snow that's up to 21 inches deep – and probably deeper.

It's also a decent unit when it comes to moving what the snowplow driver leaves you on the corner of your property. It gets through icy hunks of snow better than some other models.

What it won't do, though, is work well on light, fluffy material. It'll likely just push around the dry stuff like a plow.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT: 

 

Why the Type of Snow Determines the Best Snowblower

4-Cycle Engine

Generally, there are two types of snow: light snow and heavy snow. Fluffy, light snow which is beautiful to watch fall, is generally fairly easy to deal with. Heavy, wet snow, on the other hand, can be a pain to clear, defeating even the trustiest snow throwers.

Typically, the region of the US that gets heavy wet snow is the Northeast. If you live elsewhere, like the midwest or mid-Atlantic, you are probably dealing with light, fluffy snowfalls that can be taken care of with an electric snow thrower or a single-stage snow thrower.

The way heavy, wet snow is formed is through a combination of marine climates and freezing temperatures, resulting in giant, wet snowflakes that fall out of the sky and hit the ground with a splatter. When snowfalls get colder, that can even lead to ice being mixed in with the snow.

Try using a weaker snow thrower on that stuff and you're looking at an exercise in frustration. Heavy snow requires you to buy a heavy-duty blower, which means it's powered by gas and it can clear lots of snow in a single pass.

Even if your snow blower claims to throw snow up to 50 feet, you shouldn't expect that with wet heavy snow. Once it meets gravity, due to its weightiness, it will fall shortly after. In general, you can expect the expended material to travel about half the distance or less.

Simply put, if you're dealing with frequent wet, heavy snowfalls you should only be looking at two-stage or three-stage blowers, not single-stage models. These are the only types of machines that can handle the kind of stuff you get, move it from the auger (where the material gets munched up), and pushed through the impeller (where it's sent before being shot out) without it clogging up the chute.

Single-Stage or Dual-Stage – Does it Matter?

snowblower two stage or one stage in use outdoors winter heavy wet snow

In a word, "Yes." In two words, "Absolutely, yes!" Snow throwers aren't just assigned the titles of single-stage, two-stage, and three-stage arbitrarily. The higher their stage is, the more snow they can deal with and the heavier the snow they can deal with.

If you experience frequent heavy, wet snowfalls then don't even bother looking at single-stage models. At best, they'll move what's recently drifted out of the sky, or a couple of inches here and there. At worst, the chute will clog up, and it'll stop working. You'll end up pushing the unit like a shovel or a plow – at which point you might as well just use a shovel or plow.

Two-stage and three-stage units will actually be able to handle the heavy, wet snowfalls that you experience, using their powerful gas engines, sharp augers, wider clearing widths, and taller intake heights. They also tend to have helpful features like power steering, impeller fans, adjustable heated handles, and other innovations that will help you in the task of defeating deep snow.

Tips for Choosing the Best Snow Blower for Wet Snow

At this point, you know that you need to get a two-stage or three-stage snow blower to deal with wet, heavy snow. You also know all about the 5 best snow blowers for wet snow available online. To help you narrow down which one is right for you, check out the common snow blower questions and answers below.

What are the Best Snow Blowers for Compact Spaces?

The best snow blowers for compact spaces are typically on the smaller side, with clearing widths around 21-inches or less. They often have features like power steering which allows them to make quick, efficient turns. These snow blowers are great for people with narrow paths or smaller driveways.

What are the Best Snow Blowers for Large Areas?

If you need to snow blow a large area then you are going to want to purchase one with a wide clearing width of 26 inches or above. These blowers are great for people with large driveways, or who just generally have large areas to clear. These machines are especially well-suited for commercial use.

What Snow Blowers are Best for Difficult Terrains?

If you are clearing difficult terrains, like gravel driveways or steep slopes, there are a couple of features that your snow thrower can have that will make the job easier like adjustable skid shoes and no-slip tires. Adjustable skid shoes are a fabulous feature even if you aren't dealing with difficult terrains because they allow you to clear a path all the way down to the ground.

What are the Best Snow Throwers for Night-Use?

man using snowblower on front sidewalk walkway drive winter

One of the most convenient features, and honestly one of the best safety features a snow blower can have for night-use are headlights. Headlights help you see, no matter how dark it is on those cold winter nights or even on stormy mornings. Of course, not all headlights are created equal, some are better at illuminating than others.

Which Snow Throwers are the Easiest to Push?

If your snow thrower weighs more than 175 pounds, and honestly even if it weighs less, self-propulsion is a godsend. This feature has become standard, with most two-stage and three-stage snow blowers now including it. If you want more say in how fast your machine moves forward or backward, look for units with extra speeds.

What are Some Convenient Snow Blower Features?

Snow blowing doesn't have to be such a chore. Convenient and comfortable features can make it a much more pleasant experience. Some of those features include heated handgrips, cup holders, self-propulsion, and electric starts. Pairing the strength of a gas snow blower with the convenience of an electric one, gas snow blowers with electric starts are ready to go in an instant.

Which Snow Throwers are the Fastest?

The bigger your snow blower's clearing width and intake height, the faster you'll be able to cover areas. In other words, the more snowfall it can munch at once, the faster your job goes. It could even mean clearing a pathway in just a single pass – even if it's a tall snowdrift you're tackling.

Conclusion

You have enough to worry about when the winter season rolls in and snowstorms start popping up. One of the ways to make the chore of shoveling snow less miserable is to get a snow blower that can handle the wet, heavy snow you get every year. Our favorite is the YARDMAX YB6770 Two Stage Snowblower.

YARDMAX YB6770 Two-Stage Snow Blower

    YARDMAX went above and beyond with this two-stage snow blower that features heated handgrips, headlights, a cup holder, self-propulsion and lots of other convenient features.

      Pros:

    • Extra-wide mouth
    • Convenient comfort features
    • Good for all kinds of snow
      Cons:

    • Needs assembly
    • Metal “shoes”

Our other top picks, in order:

Most Powerful Snowblower For Deep Wet Snow: Husqvarna St224 Two-Stage Snow Blower

Best Easy-To-Maneuver Snowblower For Wet Snow: Briggs & Stratton 1696614 Dual-Stage Snow Thrower

Best Compact Snowblower For Wet Snow: Ariens Compact Two-Stage Snow Blower

Best Affordable Snowthrower For Wet Snowbanks: Troy-Bilt Storm 2625 Two-Stage Snow Thrower

Of course, every snow blower reviewed on this list was a quality choice. If another fits your situation better and incorporates the features you desire, go for it! Let me know which snow blower you picked in the comments, and as always, if you found this guide helpful be sure to share it.