DURING A POSTFLT INSPECTION A C208 PLT FOUND PROP DAMAGE RESULTING FROM CONTACT WITH SNOW AND ICE DRIFTS DURING TAXI FOR TKOF AT EWR.

Narrative

AS I WAS TAXIING TO RWY 4L ON TXWY PD IN EWR; THE TXWY WAS OBSCURED BY ICE AND SNOW AND I COULDN'T SEE THE TXWY LINES OR LIGHTS. AS I WAS TAKING THE RWY FOR TKOF; I FELT A BUMP AS I PASSED OVER A PILE OF SNOW AND ICE. I DID NOT THINK MUCH OF IT BECAUSE I WAS IN A HURRY TO GET THE FREIGHT TO ZZZ AND I WAS HITTING ALL KINDS OF BUMPS AS I TAXIED OVER THE ICE AND SNOW. I TOOK OFF AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE THE ENTIRE FLT TO ZZZ. HOWEVER; WHEN I GOT TO ZZZ AND DID THE POSTFLT INSPECTION; I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I NOTICED THE PROP HAD NICKS IN IT. APPARENTLY THE PROP HAD HIT THE PILE OF SNOW AND ICE AND I HAD NO IDEA IT HAD HAPPENED. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE COMPANY AND THEY SENT OUT A MECH WHO GNDED THE AIRPLANE. I MUST ALSO NOTE THAT I WAS TAXIING AT A SPD LESS THAN 10 KTS (A PERSONAL RULE OF MINE ON AN ICY SURFACE). I THINK THIS UNFORTUNATE TURN OF EVENTS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD BEEN MORE WORRIED ABOUT DODGING SNOW AND ICE PILES ON THE TXWY INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT GETTING THE FREIGHT OUT IN A TIMELY MANNER. I ALSO THINK IF THE TXWYS IN EWR HAD THE BLUE LIGHTS AROUND THE EDGES IT WOULD INCREASE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON THE GND AT THAT ARPT.