Politics & Government

Snow on School Roofs Has Not Reached Dangerous Depths

Snow accumulation of school roofs has not approached the amount that was on roofs in 2011.

The snow that piled up on school roofs after the weekend blizzard was not deep enough to prompt safety concerns, according to School Superintendent Dr. Michael Harvey.

Several parents, residents and students asked Hamilton-Wenham Patch whether the blizzard would prompt the need to shovel and snowblow the school roofs in the same way that was done in Febraury 2011.

Harvey said that he checked with both the Hamilton building inspector and Hamilton Fire Department and was told that snow removal from school roofs is not needed after the weekend blizzard.

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"The Hamilton Fire Department and the building inspector have told us that we do not need to clear the roofs," Harvey said. "I think the high winds took most of the snow off of them."

Almost exactly two years ago, schools were closed for about a week while several feet of snow was removed from the roofs of all the schools in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District. The elementary schools were closed for a week and Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School and Miles River Middle School even longer.

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After more than a month of storm after storm, snow had accumulated in some places to weight as much as five times as much as the roofs were designed to handle. Building Inspector Charlie Brett ordered the roofs cleared before the school could reopen that year.

The missed snow days ended up being made up during four days of February vacation and a professional day in May.


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