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Wet, heavy weekend snow leaves lots of work for shovelers

While the sun did its best to wipe clear the snow from Saturday, there was still plenty of work for people to do.

ARVADA, Colo. — Around town Sunday, many people were out shoveling sidewalks and driveways to clear away this weekend's weather

Sadie Butler and Elizabeth Dooley's home in Arvada got a lot of the slushy, heavy stuff.

"Like 10 inches," Dooley said. 

"Like 10 to 14, you gotta eyeball it," Butler said. 

It was enough that they had to shovel out their friend's car trying to get up the driveway.

"Like, both ways," Dooley said. "Driving out and coming back in."

So they were stuck shoveling, clearing it away as best they could.

Patrick McGann, Clinical Coordinator in the ER at AdventHealth Porter, said when the snow is heavy like we saw this weekend, people are at a higher risk for injury, including heart attacks.

"A lot of the time, we do see patients that are out shoveling, they're doing more exertion on their heart than they typically do. They come in with chest pain. Sometimes that can lead to cardiac events that need to get taken care of," he said. 

He said if you have to shovel, take it slow.

"So I think people should just listen to their body, basically taking breaks, making sure that they're taking their time, not overexerting themselves," he said. 

After clearing half their driveway of snow, Butler and Dooley weren't planning to finish the job Sunday night. 

"We're going to watch the Grammys, eat some guac, eat some chips. We're done," Butler said. 

Physicians at Intermountain Health also shared tips to stay safe while shoveling. They said when you're headed out, warm up your body first and stretch. When you head out, lift with your legs, remember to take breaks every 15 to 20 minutes to catch your breath, and stay hydrated. If you have chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness, listen to your body and stop shoveling. Seek medical care if needed. 

    

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