When we think about the danger of avalanches or slides we often think of backcountry skiing and snowmobiling but the danger can be as close as your front porch.
Mark Staples of the Utah Avalanche Center warns that with the wet precipitation and warmer weather in the area; there is a fatal amount of snow on roofs at risk of sliding off.
“The warm temperatures and rain we could see roof avalanches as roof’s start to shed their snow,” Staples explained. “This is a particularly big problem for small children who have been killed by snow falling off roofs. So be careful, watch your kids.”
A 50-year-old Midway man was killed in Old Town Park City in early 2017 after a 700-pound chunk of ice fell off a roof while the man was washing a window. Staples says the best thing to do is be aware and avoid areas where snow and ice could come falling down.
“The scary part though is with a little bit of rain and warm temperatures depending on what your roof is made of that could start happening on its own,” Staples said. “Just stay away from the sides where it falls down.”
