Updated January 23, 2026. The first snow of the season is heading to NoVA this weekend. That means people will be out shoveling, which can be risky. We spoke to a local doctor about the risks, and how to mitigate them.
Dr. Brian Krieger, an Inova physician specializing in emergency medicine, says snow shoveling carries risks of heart attack and cardiovascular disease, in part because of the approach people take to it.
“People treat it as a chore, and it’s an exercise,” Krieger says. “Nobody who is maybe in their 60s, who isn’t super active, who isn’t in training, would wake up and say, ‘Let me go run this 5k. And let me run it as fast as I can, because I got to get to work, or because it’s really cold outside. And I think that’s what people do.”
He adds that a recent study indicates that cold weather, all on its own, increases the risk of heart problems. “You kind of combine those two things, that rush to get things done, and then the weather itself, [and that] increases the incidence and the people presenting with chest pain and heart attacks.”
He says the best way to stay safe is the most obvious one: Hire someone else to shovel your snow. This is especially important if you’re over 60, have high blood pressure or diabetes, drink, or smoke. If you’re going to do it yourself, Krieger says to take your time when shoveling. “We get really good estimates as far as how much snow is falling, when it’s coming, so, realize how much time you have, how much time you need, to shovel that snow.”
While cardiac problems are the most serious dangers of snow shoveling, they’re not the only ones. Kreiger says he worked the first few days after the first snow of the season, and saw plenty of injuries from falls. “We see a lot of ankle fractures, a lot of arm fractures — they tend to be a little bit more than a casual weekend sports injury, where you’re kind of twisting and turning and kind of step funny.”
However, some injuries can be more serious. Kreiger says he saw three ankle fractures in less than 24 hours, all of which will likely require surgery.
And shoveling risks are not just unique to this area. Kreiger grew up in the Detroit area, where people pride themselves on being able to handle the snow. But he says that while communities there are more prepared on an official level, “From an individual perspective, it’s the exact same thing. People just can’t get out of their own way. They gotta get that snow out of the way, they gotta get to work, they got stuff to do. And the same thing happens, absolutely.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
