Shovel base of yurt, or no?

[ez2membr]

Hi everyone, new to yurt living here.

I'm living in a yurt formerly inhabited by my parents for two years while they were building their house. I have moved in after finishing my 15 years of post grad training to help pay off student loans. This will be my first winter here. We live near the Canadian border, and get plenty of snow in the Winter months.

My question is this: Should I shovel snow off the deck at the base of the yurt? I understand the roof should stay clear for load-bearing reasons. My parents, though, are telling me I need to make sure to shovel all snow off the deck every time it snows (expected to be almost daily). I am reading elsewhere that a good snow load at the base actually serves to provide

insulation

. Which is it?

My mom would place old blankets and summer clothes all around the inside walls of the yurt for

insulation

in winter months. BUT, when I moved in, the wall bases had significant mold growth which I abated, and then painted with kilz and mold resistant paint. I believe the makeshift insulation likely contributed to the mold, and would like to avoid this.

So: shovel or no? Thanks for your input!