Posted on 11/18/2022 2:02:54 PM PST by Libloather
It's one thing to say it snowed more than 3 feet. It's another when you think about how much that weighs.
Upstate New York, especially Buffalo and Watertown, is getting hammered by a potentially historic winter storm dumping more than 3 feet on spots -- and barely anything on others a few miles away. How does that work?
Well, that's lake-effect snow for you. Learn how it forms and more about that weather phenomenon here.
**SNIP**
Old snow is even heavier. We crunched some numbers using estimates of snow weights and vehicles from various sources. Check out the equivalents of the average weight of a foot and more of snow (and old snow) on your roof.
Average weight of 12" of fresh snow on a roof: 7,000 pounds = 2 compact SUVs parked on the roof
Average weight of 24" of fresh snow on a roof: 15,000 pounds = 4 compact SUVs parked on the roof
Average weight of 36" of fresh snow on a roof: 22,000 pounds = 6 compact SUVs parked on the roof
Average weight of 48" of fresh snow on a roof: 30,000 pounds = 9 compact SUVs parked on the roof
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnewyork.com ...
There’s a lesson in here for all of us: don’t allow SUVs to park on your roof.
loved that show when i was a kid
That was fascinating. Thanks for posting.
Just another reason to go green...My roof could handle 6 Smart cars. /sarc
Lake effect snow is dry. Snow-to-water ratios are anywhere from from 20 to 1 to as much as 50 to 1.
Non lake effect snows tend to have snow-to-water rations of around 10 to 1.
Dry snow weighs less than wet snow.
As I said, Storm Team 4 is exaggerating the weight problem. Lake effect snow is not your "average" snow.
A man I knew who live in Buffalo said that traditionally, apartment dwellers would throw their beer cans out the window onto the snow. I’m not quite sure what the purpose of doing so would be.
I didn’t think about that. If everybody had an EV there wouldn’t be a need for snow removal. Just think of the cost savings!
Isn’t that why most houses in the area have steep roofs?
Those eeeee-ville SUVs weight the same as a Mazda 6 sedan.
According to the Weather Channel there’s at least one town that’s already gotten 5 feet!
At that point you park plow trucks and switch to earthmoving equipment.
Orchard Park, where the NFL Bills play, was at 54” snow a few hours ago and expected to keep snowing tonight and tomorrow.
There’s a town/region in Japan that routinely gets something like 600 inches a year.
I’ve driven thru Buffalo twice, coming down from Canada....both times winter. It wasn’t snowing, but there was a TON of snow on the ground. The roads were clear, thankfully. But I could see how snow could be a problem there.
Not really historic.
I remember 9 feet around 1995?!
“potentially historic winter storm dumping more than 3 feet on spots”
Three feet of snow in that area isn’t potentially historic, or even historic. That happened every winter in the ‘50s and ‘60s when I lived there. How did people become so wussy?
I used to run barefoot between buildings on our property when snow was only three feet. My aunt teased me about that until the day she died in 2019.
Anyone who's skied in fluffy powder snow understands the difference.
We got about 5" of snow last night. Fluffy powder. I was able to use my leaf blower to clean off my sidewalk and driveway. Took about 15 minutes.
One year in CNY, we had 5 feet of snow in 3 weeks.
The Fulton, NY DPW did not have the foresight to snowblow their flat roof off.
It collapsed on them.
It was not the only roof collapse either. The Fulton Town Sport was roof shoveling. Happened a couple times a year.
Been there, done that, too.
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