Now’s Your Chance to Clean Snow off Your Roof in CNY Before It’s too Late

You've heard the horror stories of roofs collapsing on homes, businesses, and barns because of the extreme snowfall we've had this year.

Just recently, a bowling alley in Camden, a barn in Leyden, a manufacturing plant in Williamstown, and a forest equipment store in Barneveld all caved in because of heavy snow.

This is just a handful of recent examples, which show that anyone can suffer a devastating collapse at anytime due to the nonstop winter weather.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Hannaford store in Rome closed this week to tackle the snow on its roof. The store did not announce when it would reopen.

This Weekend Marks the Best Time This Winter to Clean off Snow

Central New York dealing with 2 to 7 feet of snow, with some areas experiencing even higher amounts. One tiny town has reported over 300 inches of snow since the winter season began.

While residents may be shoveling out their sidewalks and driveways, authorities are urging everyone to consider the snow that is on their homes or businesses. Not many people know just how much weight snow adds when it reaches a certain height.

On average, a roof can support around 20 pounds of snow per square foot. However, roofs that are covered in two feet of wet snow are dealing with an added 25 pounds per square foot - or 37.440 pounds.

That is why authorities are urging residents to shovel off their roofs before the unthinkable happens.

The good news is, a fine stretch of weather is underway that'll make life a lot easier for those who are willing to get the job done.

Milder Weather through the Weekend in Central New York

For what may seem like the first time in ages, there is no snow in the weekend forecast! Even better, the whipping winds we've become familiar with, along with the subzero wind chill values will also take a break this Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday will bring glimpses of sunshine while Sunday will be mainly overcast, but both days will have temperatures in the low 30s.

Overall, this mild stretch of weather sets up a strong window to get to work before temperatures rise to about 40 on Monday, which brings about potential melting and even more weight on rooftops.

Water weighs even more than snow, which means more buildings may fail if they aren't cleared off in time.

How to Clear Snow off Rooftops

While Traveler's Insurance strongly recommends hiring professionals to get the job done, not everyone has the money to hire someone.

For those who wish to take on the task themselves, it's heavily advised that all roof clearing should be done with a partner. It's easy to see how taking snow and ice off a roof can be hazardous, so the buddy system is very important.

Traveler's also encourages those to do as much clearing as possible from the ground, using a roof rake to catch and drag snow off the shingles. Clearing snow using a ladder is not recommended unless you can confidently secure it from sliding,

The good news is, clearing a roof doesn't entail completely removing every last trace of snow and ice. Your home or business building will be okay if you leave one or two inches of snow when you're done.

Most importantly, the best way to safely take snow off your roof is by staggering it in batches. Take regular breaks and avoid accumulating the snow into piles onto the roof to be cleared off last.

While I am sure no one is looking forward to shoveling snow off the top of their house or business, the latter is certainly much better than a midnight call to your insurance company because the snow was too much for your building to handle.

Enjoy the weather respite while you can and use this time to tackle that annoying snow while the weather is on our side, as a new wintry system will likely kick in around Wednesday and trap us in a new cycle of endless snow storms.

Get our free mobile app