2018/2019 Record Snowfall In Many Areas
Posted by Howie Scarboro - National Sales Manager - SnoBlox-Snojax on Apr 2nd 2019
The heaviest snowfall in years
We are just finishing up one of the heaviest snowfall seasons some areas have seen in years. There was so much snow out west that some ski resorts had to close after getting 8’ of snow in 3 days. However, the United States record for monthly snowfall belongs to Tamarack, CA. 32.5’ of snow fell in January, 1911. This is the in the area now known as Bear Valley Ski Resort. Tamarack also holds the record for the greatest snow depth ever measured in the U.S. at 37.5’ on March 11, 1911.
The record for the heaviest seasonal snowfall belongs to Mount Baker, WA during the 1998/1999 snow season. 95’ of snow was recorded at Mount Baker Ski Area that winter.
Snow can be beautiful, but dangerous
As beautiful as fresh snow can be, it can also cause massive disruptions to our lives plus costly damage to roofs and landscaping. These hazards are part of life when you live in an area known for heavy snowfalls. Roofs in high snow load areas are designed with high pitches to shed the snow and ice away from pedestrian areas. When roofs are originally designed for shingle roofs, then later retrofitted with a metal roof, huge problems can arise. This dramatically changes the way that snow and ice will slide off the roof.
Shingle roofs have a tendency to hold the snow and ice until it can melt off, but once the metal goes on, the game changes. Metal panels are designed to have zero friction when wet so they self clean. This design can catch new metal roof owners off guard the first time they experience heavy snow. The typical result is damaged gutters, smashed HVAC units, damaged porches, and broken vent pipes/chimney pipes on the roof.
Snow retention systems are necessary for most roofs that experience snowfall each year. These systems protect the gutters, vent pipes, landscaping, pedestrians, chimney pipes, etc. If you have experienced damage to your roof or property from snow and ice this year, give us a call. We would be happy to assist you in determining what happened, why it happened, and how to prevent it from happening in the future. Regardless of what manufacturer’s product is on the roof now or maybe no product at all, we are happy to help.
Call us at 800-SNOJAX1, email us at support@snojax.com or hit us up on LiveChat at www.Snoblox-Snojax.com.
