Hardins Outdoor Services

04/05/2026

04/05/2026

Happy Easter from our family to yours. Check us out at Hardinsoutdoorservices.com or give us a call 248-421-3534.

04/02/2026

Celebrating Our 24th Season in Business

Hardin’s Outdoor Services is now booking spring cleanups and weekly lawn maintenance for the upcoming season.

If you’re looking for a reliable, professional service provider with competitive pricing, we’ve got you covered!

Call today to schedule your free consultation:
248-421-3534

www.HardinsOutdoorServices.com

02/02/2026

6 more weeks

01/23/2026

MICHIGAN is in one of the worst salt shortages we’ve seen in the past decade.

A lot of people don’t realize how bad it really is right now, so I want to be straight up about what’s going on behind the scenes.

This isn’t rumors or contractor talk. It’s real. Salt yards all over Michigan are running dry. Suppliers are cutting back deliveries. Some places can’t get salt at all anymore.

Even municipalities are short on salt. Cities and townships are being forced to cut back usage and are having their deliveries reduced. They are also being given priority access to what limited salt is available, which means contractors are pushed even further back in line. In many cases, municipalities are being required to take available supply before anyone else can receive a single ton.

On top of that, bulk salt pricing has gone up 267 percent since the start of the season.
That’s not a typo. What used to be a manageable cost is now one of the biggest financial and logistical headaches we deal with every single storm.

Here’s what that looks like in real life right now:

We’re sourcing salt from out of state just to keep sites safe
We’re paying record high prices just to secure limited supply
We’re being rationed on how much we’re allowed to buy
Deliveries are delayed, inconsistent, or canceled altogether
Every ton we put down has to be carefully tracked and managed

We’re doing absolutely everything we can to get more salt and keep people safe. We’re not price gouging. We’re not cutting corners. We’re not holding back salt for no reason. We’re adapting to a broken supply chain in real time.

At the same time, snow crews are getting absolutely beat. Plow drivers are exhausted. Shovelers are exhausted. We don’t have the luxury of two shifts or endless backup crews. This industry doesn’t work that way anymore. These are real people working brutal hours in brutal conditions.

So if service feels slower.
If pricing goes up.
If things aren’t perfect every single hour of the storm.

This is why.

All I’m asking right now is a little patience, a little understanding, and a little respect for the people out there keeping roads, lots, and sidewalks safe.

Be nice to the plow guys.
Thanks for the words Cody Kenney

12/25/2025

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

12/20/2025

Christmas is a big stress for myself and all my buddies in the snow industry. Hopefully this stands with no surprise snow events so all our employees can spend time with family and friends.

Our first call for a white Christmas on December 25th, 2025 is here. For 80% of the state's population... well good news and bad news. Good news is, traveling should be a breeze. Bad news is, well... no snowpack on the ground. The definition of a white Christmas are areas where at least 1" of snowpack is on the ground. A trace to 1" is a partial white Christmas, and no snow would obviously mean a green Christmas.

Synopsis
Temperatures across the Lower Peninsula primarily south of US-10 appear to be in the 40's on the 24th and 25th, with a couple locations topping 50°F. Ensemble members signify that there is still too much disagreement between how warm it'll actually get, which could delay melting of current lake effect snow. Still, areas up north should at least have a solid 3" or greater come Christmas morning, especially areas in the pink zones signifying a 50-75% chance of a white Christmas. Even being 6-days out, ensemble members range from a balmy 63°F, down to 35°F. Yes, that's for one location, specifically Grand Rapids as an example. If you remember our post about ensembles, they run 50 simulations at a time after each weather balloon launch and all of them give their best solution. In this case for Christmas, some models are hinting at mid-30's still, while others top out around 60°F for a high.

These percentages are accurate as of today, December 19th, but will be subject to change over the next week. With zonal flow in the area, the jet stream will continue to wobble. Think of it as Michigan is playing jump rope. Every time the rope goes over our heads, warm air is pulled into the region, but as the rope goes under our feet, the warm air goes beneath us, or back south in this example. It seems like every 6-12 hours we are doing a full jump with the way our future model runs have played out to this point. Stick around here at Michigan Storm Chasers for more winter updates as we continue full steam ahead into 2026.

-- Trusted Partner of the Day --
Storm Guard Roofing and Construction | Based out of north Metro Detroit, call 248-985-3239 for your top go-to option for exterior work in the area, and let them know MSC sent you!

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.

11/25/2025

Guys already blew it all out, got the text that there were a ton of leafs and they weren’t joking. Thankfully everything has been dry, this would have been a nightmare to suck up wet. 25-30 Yards right here. Had to mulch it down to make room in the box.

11/25/2025

After the big pile cleanup

11/25/2025

More fall cleanups and lots of leaves. We have been doing these homes for over 15 years and never have had this many leaves. Seems like we got some extra from the golf course this season. Pushed the bulk out to make it easier. 3 hrs to push and vac up. Normally takes just over an hour.