Watch out for falling icicles
Tuesday February 17, 2009 - Email this article to a friend

Most of them are stable as the weather is still cold across the mountains but sometimes the weight of them means they will snap off.

If they were to hit someone they could cause serious injury or even worse.

A group of children were mucking about in the snow near the PlanetSKI office, building a snowman and chucking snowballs at each other when the one above suddenly came down. 

It was several metres from them and they were not in danger, but they could have been.

Pretty but dangerous if they fallOther buildings round the resort of Verbier have icicles that have snapped off.

Snow and ice on the roofs of buildings is potentially a huge problem especially this year due to the massive amount of snow that has fallen.

Earlier this winter in Val d’Isere people were warned to stay indoors as there was so much snow that if it fell off the roof and hit someone passing by then they would be completely buried.

Snow is heavyThe heat from the building warms up the base layer of snow and causes it to slide.

Another problem this winter is that snow is extremely heavy and can cause structural problems to buildings as it collects.  The sensible people clear their roof after a snowfall, but many do not.

This winter extra stress is therefore being put on roofs.

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