Approaching Winter Storm Causing Concern For Roofs
BOSTON (CBS) - Our next storm on Tuesday will deliver a mix of snow, ice and rain. Our most recent snowfall has become a very dense compact heavy snowpack.
Temperatures have been and will remain too cool for considerable melting, runoff or flooding problems, but localized urban street flooding will be possible around clogged storm drains.
WBZ-TV's Joe Joyce reports.
Instead, our snowpack will act as a sponge and absorb this next batch of slushy rainfall. With a total of about an inch of liquid expected, this will equal about 5 pounds per square foot on top of the the heavy snow which has already in place. This will mean a lot of weight for many rooftops especially in the areas who received close to two feet of snow in the blizzard.
Pitched roofs tend to handle weight better than flat roofs. An engineer would have a better idea on how much weight your roof can handle. Safely removing snow from your roof remains the best way to guard against failure and the costly effects of ice dams.
Keep in mind, after this mix passes, the left over snow or slush will freeze again as much colder air lies ahead. So, we may be stuck with this New England glacier scene for a while.
