Enter your weight, shoveling duration, and intensity level to find out how many calories you burn shoveling snow. The Snow Shoveling Calories Calculator uses MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values to estimate your total calorie expenditure — whether you're clearing a driveway aggressively or taking a relaxed pace with a snow blower.
Calories Burned
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MET Value
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Calories Per Hour
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Weight Used
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The number of calories burned shoveling snow depends on your body weight, duration, and intensity. A person weighing 180 lbs shoveling with moderate effort for 30 minutes burns approximately 230–260 calories. At intensive effort for a full hour, that same person can burn around 600 calories — comparable to an hour of ice skating.
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values for snow shoveling range from about 3.5 for riding a snow blower up to 9.0 for intensive hand shoveling. Moderate hand shoveling uses a MET of around 5.3, while relaxed shoveling is approximately 4.0. The formula is: Calories = MET × weight in kg × duration in hours.
Yes — snow shoveling is a surprisingly effective full-body workout. It engages your core, back, shoulders, and legs simultaneously. Depending on intensity, it can match or exceed the calorie burn of activities like brisk walking or light jogging, making it a legitimate cardio and strength exercise.
Absolutely. Heavier individuals burn more calories performing the same activity because their body requires more energy to move. The MET-based formula multiplies your weight in kilograms directly, so a 220 lb person will burn noticeably more calories than a 150 lb person shoveling for the same duration and intensity.
Riding a snow blower burns significantly fewer calories than hand shoveling because it requires much less physical effort. A snow blower has a MET of around 3.5, while intensive hand shoveling can reach a MET of 9.0. Hand shoveling can burn more than twice as many calories for the same duration.
Always warm up before shoveling to prepare your muscles and cardiovascular system. Use an ergonomic shovel, bend at the knees rather than your back, and take regular breaks. Stay hydrated, dress in layers, and avoid shoveling if you have a heart condition. The combination of cold temperatures and physical exertion can significantly increase cardiovascular strain.
A standard two-car driveway typically takes 20–45 minutes to shovel, depending on snow depth, snow weight (wet vs. fluffy), and your pace. Heavier, wetter snow takes more effort and time than light, powdery snow, and will result in more calories burned per minute.
Snow shoveling can contribute to weight loss as part of an active lifestyle. A 30-minute session can burn 200–400+ calories depending on your weight and intensity. However, like any physical activity, weight loss depends on overall calorie balance — combining regular shoveling with a balanced diet will be most effective.