I always need to clear a path from my backyard to the front sidewalk after it snows, so I can wheel the trash cans to/from the curb. Would it be possible to use my snowblower to do this? Would it harm the machine in any way?

I've done it lots of times. Just gotta be careful. We used to have an outdoor wood stove. It was about 75' from the house. Would cut a nice, wide path out there all the time.
Joe

Thanks Micaj68kj......The grass is always dormant here in the winter and I always keep the sticks, rocks, etc off the lawn anyway, I guess I just wanted some other thoughts on the matter. Thanks again!

Is your snow blower single stage or dual stage? Neither should really harm the machine, but make sure to keep the front high enough so you don't dig a hole in the grass. That would be harder with a single stage, but still doable. I usually just push down on the handles slightly to leave a bit of snow behind.

I'd say as long as you leave enough covering snow so it doesn't expose the grass you'd be ok. Take it down too far and if it should get sunny out, it could melt enough to expose the lawn. Might think it's spring and start to attempt to grow, that's a good way to kill it.

i also try and leave some snow on the grass when i make a path. i make my path 1.5 time the width of the snowblower to make it easier to get the machine back to the garage

Grass won’t start growing just because there’s no snow cover; there’s frequently no snow during the coldest parts of winter. The temperature at the roots is what triggers grass to come out of winter dormancy so while the ground remains frozen the grass won’t grow. A couple of hours of weak winter sun won’t thaw anything.

The advantage of snow cover isn’t in dormancy but insulation. A thick blanket of snow protects the grass from biting cold winds and sub zero temps.