‘Heart attack snow’ is wet, heavy snow that often has Maritimers shoveling for hours at a time.

After every snowstorm, calls come into 911 from people who overdo it while clearing their driveways.

“Unfortunately, there's casualties of people that either don't recognize the sign of potential heart attack; chest pain, shortness of breath, and we're called for cardiac arrest. It happens every year,” says Jean-Marc Dugas of Ambulance NB.

Ned McBeath has overdone it while shoveling before. He didn’t need a trip to the doctor’s office, but he says it is a feeling he doesn’t want to experience again.

“I'll go out for 10 or 15 minutes and do what I can and if it's heavy, I'll back off and go in and have a coffee and come out a little later and do it that way,” says McBeath.

“The most important this is, if you're shoveling and you start to feel that you're getting short of breath, or you've got chest pains, or you really don't feel good, you got to stop because if you continue, that's when you need our services,” says Dugas.

Shovelers may think those with snowblowers have it easy, but homeowner Keith Trenholm says that isn’t always the case.

“It's so packy, I find it very difficult today,” says Trenholm. “I don't have my chains on and it's slipping, so you kind of have to force it through a little. It's a little strenuous today.”

The type of wet snow New Brunswickers are currently dealing with can easily clog a snowblower and it is tempting to try and clear it out quickly.

“Make sure you turn the snowblower off, because what may happen is, the impellers are still turning and you think you have time to clear the snow and whoops, your arm goes in,” says Dugas.

Whether it is your arm or your heart, it is important to take your time and pay attention to how your body feels.