High-powered motors, snow-blowing attachments, and snow-melting agents are turning drones into an unlikely tool for snow removal across China.

This week, snowstorms blanketing parts of eastern and central China have prompted a surge in drone-assisted snow-clearing, particularly from farmers and factories. Videos circulating on social media videos show drones hovering over plastic sheds, blasting away large sheets of snow within seconds.

Heavy snow can accumulate quickly on rooftops, threatening to collapse greenhouses and forcing factories to suspend operations. Clearing it has traditionally required hours of intensive manual labor, often in dangerous conditions.

Drones are increasingly offering an alternative. Domestic media report that in eastern Jiangsu province, drones can clear 15 centimeters of snow from a 20,000-square-meter workshop in just two hours at a cost of 5,000 yuan ($718), making the process more efficient than manual labor.

Xu Liubing, a 39-year-old drone operator in eastern Anhui province, told Sixth Tone that a single machine often serves one client a day, though pricing varies widely by region, drone model, and the type of structure involved.

Despite growing demand, operators say the business is far from stable.

Xu said that purchasing a drone costs around 50,000 yuan, while daily operating expenses run around 500 yuan.

Work volumes fluctuate sharply with the weather, Xu said, forcing many teams to diversify. Outside snow removal, drone operators often turn to crop dusting and pest control to stay afloat.

“It’s freezing and all outdoors — really tough work,” another drone operator in central Henan province said, adding that snow removal jobs are often emergencies that require working overnight.

“Farmers and factory owners worry the snow will crush greenhouses or rooftops, so they call us while the snow is still falling,” he said.

Competition is also intensifying as more operators enter the market. “There are more pilots now.” Xu said. “Orders often come through online platforms or middlemen, who take the jobs first and then subcontract them to us.”

According to Beijing-based research firm EO Intelligence, China’s commercial drone market reached about 121.5 billion yuan in 2024, with agricultural and forestry applications accounting for the largest share.

Beyond private operations, local governments have also begun using drones to clear snow off power lines and solar farms. In the northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, authorities say drone-based snow clearing at solar farms has cut annual maintenance costs by 70% and reduced power generation losses by 15%.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.