Winter Weather continues to rise, causing damage across Oswego

Picture of ice hanging from the house roof. Picture from CNYRoofCleaning.com

As winter temperatures continue to rise and fall, ice is accumulating around the city of Oswego, posing a threat to both residents and property owners.

According to a landlord in Oswego, the danger arose when big icicles dropped and smashed a tenant’s vehicle. “When my landlord told me to move my car out of the driveway because of an icicle…I didn’t think much of it…until I heard what happened to one of this other tenant’s.” One of the tenants stated

Lee Walker Jr., a landlord in Oswego, said he received a call from students renting his property after ice fell from the roof.

“I had some students call me and say, ‘Hey, the icicles fell and crushed our car,’” Walker said. “I started telling all my tenants, you better look up, look at your icicles, make sure that they don’t fall. The icicles that fell on the car, if that would have fallen on a person, it could potentially cost you your life.”

With fluctuating temperatures, ice damage is not uncommon in Central New York. Roofing professionals say they receive frequent calls during the winter months.

“From probably the beginning of January till sometime in March, we probably get a couple calls a day,” said Mark Blowers, manager at Lifetime Roofing.

Large icicles form when snow melts during the day and refreezes at night. Sunlight warms the roof, causing snow to melt. When temperatures drop overnight, the water freezes along the edges of the roof.

“Water will freeze back up on the soffit and it creates a dam there,” Blowers said. “So what happens is when the water tries to run down off the roof — the roof is designed to shed the water — but it can’t shed the water.”

When water cannot properly drain, it can back up under shingles, causing roof leaks, structural damage and dangerous icicles to form.

“You’ve kind of got to get up there, try to keep the snow cleared off of your roof,” Blowers said.

After seeing the damage ice buildup can cause, some residents say they are taking precautions.

“I’ll keep an eye out for the ice and keep my car parked away from my house,” one tenant said.

As winter weather continues, officials encourage residents to watch for falling icicles and monitor roof conditions to prevent injury and property damage.