I feel like a true snow weenie looks for competitive advantages when it comes to creating the perfect winter landscape. Being the first to have the yard disappear is step #1.
The other thing that I did, and something that Daxx does, was to prohibit the kids from playing in the backyard when they were younger. A good bit of my yard is shaded, and to help preserve the perfect snowpack, I didn't want my snow trampled, rolled, scooped, etc. An untouched yard was essential!
Shoveling snow into 2 huge piles is another tradition - I consistently have the last piles of snow to melt in the 'hood. Admittedly, it's getting harder for me to stack it up at the age of 55.
And of course, I'm always a fan of getting a nice layer of sleet on top of my snowpack. It's the best way to achieve pack preservation.