That talks about a snowboard but doesnt say what it is or how you build one. I imagine a board would not be good in windy conditions, since snow will just blow off of it. It seems the idea of taking measurements in various spots would be the way to go based on that article, but I need some flat ground level spots to clear... My deck is not a good choice as it gets wind and snow from the roof so it could severely underestimate or overestimate