Boundary County public information officer
Michael Meier today issued data released by the
Western Regional Climate Center showing that
average snowfall for November and December in
Bonners Ferry is 27 inches. The average snow
depth for this time period is five inches.
Snowfall for this period in 2017 has been 41.8
inches.
With months of winter left, Boundary County Road
and Bridge is advising that you be aware of
snow-loads on buildings, on road conditions and
possible damages to buildings and structures,
not to mention the trees in your yard.
To see where things stood in his neighborhood,
construction designer Don Jordan weighed a
column of snow from his yard on Wednesday, and
calculated that, as of that time and date, one
square foot of snow weighed 20.8 pounds. His
home is six miles south of Bonners Ferry off
Brown Creek Road.
Don't assume that your snow weighs the same as
his did! Snow weight varies over time and by
location based principally on water content!
But his calculation can be used for showing that
most properly-built roofs in the area should be
safe for a little while yet; in Boundary County,
the minimum recommended roof snowload is
40-pounds per square foot, and many professional
builders construct their roofs to handle a
60-pound per square foot snowload.
However, not all builders in Boundary County
through the years have been professional, and
the county's standard is a reasoned
recommendation, not a construction requirement.
If you have concerns about the roofs on your
home and outbuildings, play it safe and shovel
off the snow or hire someone to break their back
doing it for you!
And if you're not sure about who built your
home, for your own peace of mind you might
consider hiring a certified building inspector
to take a look and tell you what your roof can
be expected to hold.
Sure, it's a bit of money, but it's better to
spend a little than to find yourself sitting in
your recliner in your cozy den one, snow flakes
gently wafting down around your ears. |
