You don't have to get the snow completely off, but try to get it down to two inches (5 cm) or less. [substeps] If you have a plow that attaches to a four wheeler, tractor, or snowblower, it's much faster to clear the snow this way.
[header] How to remove ice from a driveway [title] Clear away any snow that's on top of the ice. [step] Using any kind of deicer is pointless if there is snow piled on the ice. Use a snow shovel to push the snow off of the ice before you do anything else.