Portable snow and ice eliminator apparatus and method

A portable snow and ice eliminator apparatus comprising:

• a hopper for receiving snow or ice to be melted to a liquid or semi-liquid state, the hopper being generally rectangular with opposite side walls and opposite end walls, the opposite side walls and the opposite end walls extending vertically from a base as to define an internal cavity;
• a first melting panel fixedly coupled to a first side wall of the opposite side walls and extending substantially over a length of the internal cavity and half of a width of the internal cavity;
• a second melting panel rotatably coupled to a second side wall of the opposite side walls and extending substantially over the length of the internal cavity and substantially half of the width of the internal cavity, the second melting panel rotating between an open position and a closed position;
• a first heating element embedded within the first melting panel and a second heating element embedded within the second melting panel;
• a switch coupled to the second melting panel, the switch being in an off state while the second melting panel is in the open position and an on state while the second melting panel is in the closed position;
• a rechargeable battery positioned within the internal cavity and electrically connected to the first heating element and the second heating element through the switch;
• and
• a solar panel mechanically coupled to the hopper and electrically connected to the rechargeable battery, the solar panel transitioning between a storage position proximate the internal cavity and an operating position remote of the internal cavity.