Hopefully, the winter weather in Fort Collins, CO has now gone back to normal, after the extremely low temperatures of early to middle January. The past few weeks saw the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing forecasts and alerts as needed. As a Denver Post article indicated recently:

The forecast calls for less than a half inch of new snow.

Tuesday night is expected to be mostly clear, with a low around 28 degrees, and west-southwest winds blowing around 9 mph, according to the weather service.

Wednesday’s high will be near 60 degrees with sunny skies in Denver and west-southwest winds blowing 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Once snowy weather normalizes, homeowners can take the time to check their homes for the effects of the weather, particularly the roofing of Fort Collins homes. The sooner the roofs are checked, the sooner any problems can be detected and corrected.

hail damage Winter Storms Fort Collins

NWS alerts

The past few weeks did not only bring freezing snow but high winds as well. In fact, the NWS declared alerts in counties like Boulder, Jefferson, and Larimer and warned against winds with gusts of 70 to 80 miles per hour. They also issued a winter storm warning for areas above 9,000 feet in Larimer County, which applied to cities such as Fort Collins and Loveland.

When this storm warning was issued for Larimer County, the expected snow build up was anywhere from 10 to 20 inches. As little as six inches of snow, especially new snow piling over old one, that collect on the roof can cause the latter to collapse. A partial collapse is enough to cause serious damage and even injury in a home and its residents.

Roof checks

The Institute for Business and Home Safety has issued guidelines aimed at helping homeowners determine the amount of risk the weather poses on their roofs. Among the major factors that influence the risk are the roof’s age and design. For homes with flat roof designs, step-down areas among roof sections are likely places for ice and snow to accumulate, and possibly result in a collapse.

Homeowners should consider hiring a licensed roofer in Fort Collins, such as those at Fort Collins Roofing Consultants, to check their roof during the winter season. Aside from the safe removal of heavy snow, a professional roofer can also look for any damage or the beginning of one that may have resulted from severe weather conditions. These pros have the necessary training, skills, and expertise that allow them to conduct roofing inspections and repairs even in the middle of winter.

 

(Article Information and Image from Colorado Weather: Sun, snow and strong wind expected early in the week, The Denver Post, January 14, 2014)