Snow load

[dadmomh]

Catching up on TWC and the snow belt mess this afternoon and they gave some interesting info re snow load. There is usually at least one post re "should I or not" every year, so here it is early....unless you're in Upstate NY and you already know. Take a 1 square foot area and put 3" of snow on it and it weighs approx. 60#. Figure the square footage of your home/garage/TT and it's a bunch of weight. So definitely the answer is yes, if you can do it safely....and often if necessary. If you're already under that 5' that's there now, suggest you skip the cleaning and just call insurance. Best of luck to all in that mess...."fond" memories of winter east of Cleveland.

[Slownsy]

Leave earlier
Frank.

[ZeeLet50]

In Buffalo here and its hard to depart to Florida when roads are closed and full of snow and there are driving bans. Today looks good but rain is in the forecast for Saturday. Not a good scenario.

[dadmomh]

True. And, would definitely NOT buy one off the lot any time soon in that area. Gotta feel for those folks. Be safe.

[thomasmnile]

Peg Leg wrote:
If your in Buffalo, with a RV your already 5' past the "Depart for Florida" deadline.

:B:B:B

[Peg_Leg]

If your in Buffalo, with a RV your already 5' past the "Depart for Florida" deadline.

[MFL]

Gary, didn't see your last post, before I posted. Makes more sense now, figured it was TWCs mistake.

Jerry

[MFL]

dadmomh wrote:
No, actually that's exactly what TWC said. Obviously depends on the snow being drier or wetter, but just repeating what they said....agree that it sounds high. I always thought that 1" of rain = 1 foot of snow, but they had a totally different mathematical display showing on the board they were using. Certainly not 12x12x3'....have shoveled enough to know that's way heavier.

If TWC reported that 12"X12"X3" is 60#s, I believe that they made a mistake.

Certainly the water content in the snow makes a huge difference.

A simple example of weight, all water, which would be heavier than snow. Take a cake pan 12 inches by 12 inches, with 3 inch high sides, and start filling from one gallon water jug. The pan will overflow before the whole gallon is added. The gallon of water weighs about eight and one half pounds.

Jerry

[dadmomh]

Update on TWC....Jim Cantore did a redo on the square foot question and it's changed to cubic foot. Still a bunch of weight.

[korbe]

Besides the weight of water per cubic foot (62lbs), many factors come into play on the weight of snow and depth on a surface. Dry or wet snow? Heated or unheated surface? Freeze thaw(ice dam). No standard for snow weight, that I know of.

[dadmomh]

No, actually that's exactly what TWC said. Obviously depends on the snow being drier or wetter, but just repeating what they said....agree that it sounds high. I always thought that 1" of rain = 1 foot of snow, but they had a totally different mathematical display showing on the board they were using. Certainly not 12x12x3'....have shoveled enough to know that's way heavier.

[MFL]

naturist wrote:

3oaks wrote:
I think you 60# per 12"x12"x3" is way too high.

60# for a 1x1x3 foot "slab" of snow is about right, actually.

I think the OP meant 3 feet deep, but put 3 inches by mistake.

Jerry

[BossCamper]

And remember .. whatever the weight really is, it's spread out over that square foot. I've had my 225 lb self up on my roof, walking about, and that's all 225 lb concentrated in the area of my foot!
Normal snows shouldn't hurt your trailer. 5' ... if it's 5' on the level, then yes .. clean it off.

[naturist]

3oaks wrote:
I think you 60# per 12"x12"x3" is way too high.

60# for a 1x1x3 foot "slab" of snow is about right, actually.

[ddrueckh]

7.48 gallons of water in 1 cubic foot. 8.34 ponds per gallon. That equals 62.38 pounds for one cubic foot of water. Now keep in mind that snow is not solid water so it will be lighter. A quick look on Google says that a cubic foot of snow will weigh about 20lbs...