The Sunday Storm That Broke Records
With record-breaking accumulation this January, the urgent need for commercial roof snow removal in Toronto has reached critical levels. If you own or manage a property in the GTA, you are likely looking at your roof with concern right now. Sunday’s storm didn’t just bring “heavy snow”—it made history.
Toronto Pearson Airport recorded 46 cm of snow in a single day, shattering previous records and pushing our January 2026 total to over 88 cm. To make matters worse, the temperature has plummeted to the -20°C range. This extreme cold means there is no melt in sight; that massive weight is locked onto your building, and it’s likely not going anywhere without intervention.
The Science: Why “Old Snow” is Dangerous
Many building owners assume that if the roof held up on Sunday, it’s fine for the rest of the week. This is a dangerous misconception.
The snow sitting on your roof right now is physically changing.
- Fresh Snow: Typically weighs about 10-15 pounds per cubic foot.
- Compacted “Old” Snow: As snow sits, settles, and absorbs ambient moisture or slight daytime melting, it becomes dense. Compacted snow can easily weigh 20 to 30+ pounds per cubic foot.
On a large commercial flat roof, this transformation implies that a 2-foot depth of snow can exert tens of thousands of pounds of pressure per structural bay. If your building was designed to older codes, or if you have multiple layers of roofing material already adding dead load, you may be nearing a critical threshold.
The “Silent” Danger: Wind Drifts & Unbalanced Loads
The biggest threat to a flat roof isn’t always the uniform blanket of snow—it’s the drifts.
High winds following the storm have pushed snow across large roof expanses, piling it up against:
- Parapet walls
- HVAC units
- Skylights
- Step-downs between roof levels
This creates an unbalanced load. While the center of your roof might only have 30cm of snow, the perimeter or mechanical areas could be supporting drifts 4 to 6 feet deep. These concentrated loads can buckle steel decking and shear structural connections even if the rest of the roof looks fine.
Critical Warning Signs of Structural Stress
Do not wait for a collapse to act. If your maintenance team or tenants report any of the following, you need an emergency assessment immediately:
- Interior Noises: Any popping, creaking, or cracking sounds coming from the ceiling or walls.
- Sagging Sprinklers: If your fire suppression lines look like they are drooping or bowing, the roof deck above them is deflecting.
- Jamming Doors: Internal doors that suddenly won’t close or stick in their frames indicate the building structure is distorting under weight.
- Drywall Cracks: New cracks appearing above doorways or where walls meet the ceiling.
Why Professional Commercial Roof Snow Removal in Toronto Matters
Removing snow from a flat roof is not a job for a general handyman with a shovel. Improper removal can damage the roof membrane, leading to massive leaks when the thaw finally comes. It requires a strategic approach that balances the load without damaging the waterproofing system.
The Bottom Line: If you have drifts deeper than 2 feet, or if you are managing an older building with a wide-span roof, do not take the risk.
Need an urgent assessment? Guycan Ltd specializes in commercial roof snow removal in Toronto and the GTA. We have the equipment and safety protocols to clear the weight effectively and protect your structural integrity.
Contact Guycan Ltd Immediately for an Emergency Assessment; Call us at 416-298-1950 or use our emergency contact form.