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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.