Weekend Snow, Rain Could Lead To Roof Collapses
BOSTON (CBS) – More snow on the way this weekend means it's time to stop procrastinating.
It's time to relieve your roof.
"At this point when we are talking about snow depths of over 30 inches, any additional snow we get is going to cause problems," National Weather Service Meteorologist Hayden Frank told WBZ-TV.
Wet snow is going to pose more of a risk than dry snow. Because of its weight compared to dry snow, it has a higher water equivalent.
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If you're removing snow from the roof of your business or home, one little bucket worth of what you removed weighs about 10 pounds.
Multiply that across the entire roof, add some ice, add some rain from maybe this weekend and you could have a big problem.
WBZ-TV's Katie Brace reports from Boston
"If you put an inch of rain on top of the snow, that really puts a lot of pressure on already stressed out roofs," Frank said.
If we get a brief rain, that causes the snow to saturate more. While one foot of fresh dry snow could weigh three pounds, wet and heavy snow weighs 21 pounds per square foot.
If we get one inch of ice, that weighs almost five pounds per square foot. Either way, it's more weight.
Read: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Roof Collapse Safety Information
Boston Inspectional Services is now keeping an eye out for ice dams and snow-covered decks. It's an effort to be proactive and help residents prevent possible problems.
Inspectors have distributed informational flyers in the neighborhoods. They are also following-up with residents about large accumulations of ice and snow. If the ice and/or snow is too dangerous for a resident to reach, inspectors are connecting them with contractors.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said it has received reports of over 100 full and partial roof collapses in the last week.
Several fires and gas leaks have also been caused by snow and ice falling on gas lines, the Department of Fire Services said.
"We're actually better off getting all snow because that weighs less," Frank added.
The forecast this weekend, however, may give us a bit of everything.
