Searching for that 'exact phrase' is likely to return nothing, yes. I used 'all words in any order' and got some hits, but nothing appeared relevant.
I think your dad is right. Continual freezing and thawing, especially with snow to form a dam, will ruin most anything. Panels may have a warranty..perhaps 5 years on physical damage.
At 5 years old I had a BP panel short out and reveal a burn spot on the back. I found it as I was wiping the panels down one day, and noticed a really hot spot. The panel was reduced to 50% capacity. BP replaced it, no problem. All they needed was the serial number.
Were I to be in your position, I'd tilt the panels to 45 degrees.
