There’s snow time like the present to learn about snow retention

By Emma Peterson.

Learn how Rocky Mountain Snow Guards are educating homeowners and contractors alike this March for National Snow Guards Safety Month!

In a new episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth hosted Lars Walberg and Zach Stopyro to talk about the first annual National Snow Guards Safety Month, March 2025! This initiative not only aims to raise awareness for the need for snow retention among home- and building-owners, but also to help educate and train contractors who will be working with these systems in the field. And there’s no better people to learn from than Lars, who is the president of Rocky Mountain Snow Guards (one of the leading snow guard manufacturers in the United States), and Zach, who, in addition to having 35 years of roofing experience, is the director of technical services and installation with DaVinci Roofscapes.

Rocky Mountain Snow Guards is the one leading the charge with the National Snow Guards Safety Month. Lars explained a little bit of what motivated them to do this, sharing, “We've been in this snow retention industry for quite a while, and I'm always surprised at how few roofers understand the danger of sliding snow. Same with homeowners. People just don't realize that the stuff that's going to come off the roof is not the same stuff that fell from the sky.”  

On the homeowner side, this initiative aims to help them understand what happens to the snow once it sits on their roof. How it compresses into a blanket of snow that can threaten people and property below it if not properly managed. This threat comes in the form of a snow avalanche, which Zach described, “With non-porous materials, like many roofing options, they don't absorb water. This means that snow and ice have nothing to hold onto or grip to. When snow begins to melt from the warm attic area or the heated air underneath the roof, a thin layer of water will form and then that snow load becomes so tremendous that it tends to break free all at one time.” On the professional side, the initiative aims to give roofers tools to install effective snow retention systems. Zach underscored how important this is, saying, “The most common thing in the roofing industry is for a roofer to go into an area and recommend snow guards or snow retention but have no idea what that means or how it's properly installed.”  

Read the transcript or Listen to the conversation to learn more about snow retention and Rocky Mountain Snow Guards’ National Snow Guards Safety Month. You can also find more resources, including free snow retention training, at www.rockymountainsnowguards.com.