The first snow in Missoula always seems to show up a week before anyone's ready for it. A little prep now saves you from dead patches in the spring, a frozen outdoor faucet, and a sore back the first morning you shovel. Here's a simple checklist.

1. Give the lawn its last mow

Keep mowing until the grass stops growing, then do a final cut at a normal height. Grass left too long can mat down under snow and invite snow mold. Grass cut too short gets stressed going into winter. Staying in the middle is the goal.

2. Clear the leaves off

Leaves left on the lawn under snow turn into a wet mat that smothers the grass. That's how you end up with bare, brown spots in April. Rake, blow, or mulch them before the snow sticks.

3. Feed before the freeze

A fall fertilizer application helps the roots store energy for winter and green up faster in spring. It needs to go down before the ground freezes to do any good.

4. Get your gear ready

Missoula's first snow is usually wet and heavy. An ergonomic push shovel saves your back. If you have dogs, a pet-friendly ice melt is easier on paws. Check the temperature rating on the bag, because some pet-safe melts stop working in deep cold snaps. Before the first hard freeze, disconnect hoses and cover outdoor faucets with an insulated faucet cover.

5. Protect the lawn edges from salt

Put ice melt on walks and driveways, not on the grass. Heavy melt that washes onto the lawn edge can burn it, which is where that brown strip along the sidewalk comes from every spring. Shovel before you salt so you need less of it.

6. Mark your edges

If you have a long driveway or walkway, stake the edges before the snow piles up. It keeps shovels, snowblowers, and plows from tearing up the turf and landscaping.

7. Put away what snow will ruin

Store hoses, garden décor, and anything plastic that gets brittle in the cold. Drain gas-powered equipment or add stabilizer if it's sitting until spring.

Want it done before the snow?

Lawns By Levi handles last mows, leaf cleanup, and fall feeding around Missoula, so your yard goes into winter ready.

Call or text (406) 802-0211 to book before the first snow.

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First Snow Prep: Getting Your Missoula Yard Ready for Winter

A simple checklist for your lawn, gear, and outdoor faucets before the first Missoula snow.

First snow checklist for Missoula yards

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