This White Stuff Is Heavy

As snow mounts, so does the weight

Four-wheel drive. Rock salt. Shovels and muscles. Tackling this snow is exhausting. The snow is heavy, and with round two here, it's just mounting.

Several rooftops have collapsed -- mostly structures with flat rooftops. According to the Institute for Business and Home Safety a flat rooftop is weighed down with more snow than a pitched rooftop that allows snow to fall off.

Rooftops in the metro area are designed to handle about 30 pounds per square foot, according to Brian Foley, a structural engineer with Fairfax County.

Experts with the Institute for Business and Home Safety say structures can typically withstand two times that.

Whatever you do, do NOT attempt to shovel your roof -- it is NOT safe!

What is safe and easy to shovel is your deck.  Your deck is stronger than your roof, because it was designed to hold people, according to Foley. If you have lots of firewood piled on your deck, you should considering shoveling, Foley said.

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