Why should I have snow blocks? We often hear this when we install a new metal roofing in the Cowichan Valley and Victoria. Snow is very heavy and when it starts to slide it can quickly become very dangerous. If someone was standing under this it could result in injury or even death. Most often the gutters are ripped off, and damage is rather minimal. However I personally have seen sliding snow crush a sundeck into the ground, snapping large support posts like tooth picks. We didn’t have to look hard for some examples of the dangers around the Cowichan Valley. In the pictures you can see that the roof in question is on a drive up mall. Unsuspecting customers are parking right in the danger zone. In the small section in the picture that has broken free there is likely in excess of a 1,000 lbs 1 tonne sliding at free fall speed.