WEATHER

Roof avalanche off cabin killed Utah man, but it’s ‘completely preventable,’ says expert

Apr 20, 2023, 7:00 PM | Updated: 8:57 pm

The roof of the Rising Ridge Recovery Center in Cache Valley collapsed Thursday afternoon. Last month, a portion of the roof collapsed over the pool area. Thursday's collapse occurred in the main lobby. Photo credit: Shane Branz

SALT LAKE CITY — Ryan Peterson, 50, was found deceased Wednesday morning after being buried by a snow avalanche from a cabin roof near Brighton.

Person killed in a roof avalanche near Brighton

“We believe he had attempted to clear snow from the roof and came down with the snow,” Unified Police Department Sgt. Melody Cutler wrote via text. “Officers were able to see a portion of his boot and an arm.”

Dan Knopp, the mayor of Brighton, said there was about 8 feet of snow on the roof of a cabin in Silver Fork.

“If the roof hasn’t collapsed at this point. If it doesn’t snow anymore, it’s almost safer just to let the snow melt naturally and release naturally,” he said.

Snow weighs about 5 pounds per square foot, 12 inches deep, depending on water content. About 12 inches of snow equal 1 inch of rain; a cubic foot of water weighs 62.4 pounds; divide by 12 (1 inch) and you get a shade over 5 pounds per square foot of rain, 1 inch deep, according to Deseret News.

“He [Knopp] said that when you were hiring somebody, it was $30 an hour to get somebody to help get that snow off your roof,” Dave said. “But it ended up being so dangerous, they had to have one of those cherry pickers and then throw a harness onto the person in case there’s a slide that it would just catch the shoveler, so to speak. It went from $30 an hour to $100 an hour to clear off this snow.”

Ask the expert

Mindy Dahlquist, who is a business development manager for TRA Snow & Sun of American Fork, which engineers snow retention systems for all types of roofs, joins Dave & Dujanovic.

“Mostly our main focus is on preventing these types of tragedies. It happens way more often than you would ever want to know about, and it’s definitely something that is completely preventable,” she said.

Dahlquist added that roof collapses often happen on homes built before the mid-1970s.

“There was a lot of codes and standards that just did not come into play at that time. And we oftentimes built structures the same in the valley as we did in the mountains; sometimes using stick framing, rather than trusses,” she said.

Dahlquist said the roof of an attached garage can pull the roof of the house down with it.

“A lot of these garages were built with the thought of it’s just holding your vehicle. It’s not needing to hold a lot of weight. No one’s going to be up there doing anything wild and crazy. And so we’ll just put some stick framing throughout these structures. It was just the way things were built 50 plus years ago,” she said.

Armed with today’s technology, architects and contractors are engineering much stronger, sounder roofs, Dahlquist said.

Stay off the roof

Dahlquist stressed: Do not climb on your roof, adding, even professionals die climbing on roofs.

If you hear your roof creaking under a load of snow, call a structural engineer, she advised. 

Also contact a structural engineer if you own an order attached garage.

Dahlquist said she is hosting a webinar on April 25 at 10 a.m. 

“It’s going to be specifically focused around structures, the differences between European structures and US structures and how they handle snow, snow slide-off and all the different things that come with that the dangers and the different types of solutions as well,” she said.

To find out more, follow this link: linkedin.com/in/mindy-dahlquist-a4226363

Related news:

Shovel the roof? Most homes handle the snow just fine

 

Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Today’s Top Stories

Weather

Thunderstorms this weekend...

Aimee Cobabe

Thunderstorms coming to Utah, expected to last all weekend

Thunderstorms are expected to move into the Beehive State tomorrow and last all weekend long. None expected to be severe.

11 months ago

The Great Salt Lake on Wednesday. Utah researchers say the lake may end up gaining 6 feet between N...

Carter Williams, KSL.com

Record snowpack likely adds 2 years to Great Salt Lake’s long-term outlook, experts say

When taking into account the typical summer loss, he projects that the lake will be about 4,192.5 feet to 4,193 feet by the end of the year, close to current levels.

11 months ago

riverbanks...

Lindsay Aerts

Utahns breath sigh of relief on major flood risk, for now

Some relief is here when it comes to flood risk with cooler temperatures expected over the next week. But Utah's rivers are certainly not out of the woods.

11 months ago

"Stream Team" (KSL-TV)...

Dan Rascon, KSL-TV

Salt Lake City crews trade in desk work for 24/7 flood watch

The crews come from the Salt Lake City Public Utilities department and are usually working office jobs not walking along river banks.

11 months ago

The old city od Jerusalem on March 26, 2023. (Ben Winslow / FOX 13 NEWS)...

Heather May and Ben Winslow, Great Salt Lake Collaborative

Why did Utah leaders go to Israel?

Israel is one of the driest countries in the world. The country went from water scarcity to water surplus, what can Utah learn?

11 months ago

Ruth's Diner in Emigration Canyon has begun to experience some flooding, however, they remain open ...

SHARA PARK KSLTV.com

National Weather Service issues flood warning for Emigration Creek

The National Weather Service to issue a flood warning through Thursday as Emigration Creek swelled and jumped it's bed.

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

close up of rose marvel saliva blooms in purple...

Shannon Cavalero

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Utah

The best drought tolerant plants for Utah can handle high elevations, alkaline soils, excessive exposure to wind, and use of secondary water.

Group of cheerful team members high fiving each other...

Visit Bear Lake

How To Plan a Business Retreat in Bear Lake This Spring

Are you wondering how to plan a business retreat this spring? Read our sample itinerary to plan a team getaway to Bear Lake.

Cheerful young woman writing an assignment while sitting at desk between two classmates during clas...

BYU EMBA at the Marriott School of Business

Hear it Firsthand: 6 Students Share Their Executive MBA Experience at BYU’s Marriott School of Business

The Executive MBA program at BYU offers great opportunities. Hear experiences straight from students enrolled in the program.

Skier being towed by a rider on a horse. Skijoring....

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking for a New Winter Activity? Try Skijoring in Bear Lake

Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. The driver leads the skiers through an obstacle course over jumps, hoops, and gates.

Banner with Cervical Cancer Awareness Realistic Ribbon...

Intermountain Health

Five Common Causes of Cervical Cancer – and What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer.

Kid holding a cisco fish at winterfest...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get Ready for Fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest is an annual weekend event jam-packed full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy.

Roof avalanche off cabin killed Utah man, but it’s ‘completely preventable,’ says expert