preparing for snow (lots of snow!)

[VTnewbee]

I'm sure this has been asked but I can't find it right now.  My hive stand (concrete blocks) is about a foot high.  Here in Vermont, getting more than a foot of snow is quite common.  I would imagine this means that I'll need some kind of upper entrance?  I don't mind shoveling out the entrance after a storm but if the storm comes when I'm at work or overnight, wouldn't the bees suffocate if the snow builds up in front of the entrance and there's no upper entrance/oxygen source?  :?

[BoBn]

You can cut a 1" wide notch in the front rim of the inner cover to provide an entrance at the top hive body and the bottom of the inner cover. 
I put a "shim on top of the inner cover which is a 3" high frame the size of the hive body. You can easily make one or buy one.
http://betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1562
I also put a 1" piece of blueboard (Styrofoam)  inside the outer cover.

   _______________
   |==========| outer cover with styrofoam
    |                    |  Shim
     ====  ==== Inner cover with notch
    |                    |
    |                    |

[Kathyp]

upper entrance won't help.  just gets snowed over.  i use screened bottom boards that will allow some air in even with the inserts and i also take plywood and make kind of an A frame between my hive front and the ground (or whatever).  this leave about 1 foot or so of protected space between the plywood and hive entrance.  because of the slant, much of the snow falls off...but, you do need to check.  last year we got so much snow so fast, it covered even the sides.  there was still plenty of air space but no escape if they wanted to fly.

remember that snow is an insulator.  don't clean it off the hives if you don't have to.