Measuring on a driveway might work if the temperatures before the snow are well below freezing so that all the snow that falls accumulates and does not melt. If your driveway is paved, just use the ruler. If gravel, do not jam the ruler into the gravel, just penetrate the snow until you hit stone. Other Important Tips on Measuring Snow Sampling - if you are not using a snow board, you might want to sample several locations and take an average. If windy conditions are causing drifting of snow, do not average in the drifts.
Measure drifts separately.
Only report if a drift is much greater than your snowfall. Reading the Ruler - measure the snow to the half inch, if possible. Always round upward. In other words, if you measure 5.75 inches, call in 6 inches.