Without a doubt, this has been a particularly brutal winter. Many areas have experienced large piles of snow buildup. The good news is that it’s almost over, but it’s important to be prepared as the weather begins to change. This week’s spring temperatures followed almost immediately by another winter storm reminds us that we must always be prepared. It’s important to get your act together now to prevent costly disasters such as a roof collapse or flooding caused by melting snow and ice. Do you know the best ways how to deal with melting snow?

After a winter of snow, ice and frigid temperatures, we got two days of sun and 50 degree weather,” said affiliate Brian Sacchs of Central Park Storage in Somersworth, NH. “Then add a day and night of rain, and you have a mess. Here is what we learned. “Don’t plan on a light winter”.

Reminders

• Clear off large accumulations of icicles and ice in gutters to reduce weight and assure the free flow of melted water. Keep snow levels on the roof as low as possible to prevent damage to your roof structure.
• Clear excess snow accumulations around buildings and storage rooms. Melting snow can cause flooding in these areas.
• Be aware of melting snow and drainage around your facility. Use sandbags to divert water away from buildings when possible.
• Keep in mind, regardless of the weather at your facility, entrance mats reduce the risk of slips and falls. If you don’t have any mats, now might be a good time to consider investing in some.

Saachs has some other good tips and information for fellow affiliates too. “When plowing the snow, make sure your drains don’t get covered,” Saachs said. “No matter how bad it gets, make sure your plow person moves the snow as far away from the facilities as possible. Especially early in the season. We had so much snow and ice, that the water from the rain and snow melt couldn’t get to the drains. Even with the slight grade of the driveways, the water backed up to the buildings. Add this with all of the snow melting on the roofs, and we had to put water pumps at each end of the buildings and pump the water away from the property.”

While we are all ready for warm temperatures and blue skies, it is important to remember that we never know what the weather has in store for us. Use these tips to help keep your facility prepared for anything.