Snow is heavy stuff. Depending on its water content, it weighs between seven and 20 pounds per cubic foot. Ice is even heavier, weighing approximately 57 pounds per cubic foot. A substantial accumulation of either on a roof can test a structure's integrity, be it a house or a horse barn. Sometimes the tragic result is collapse. Buildings constructed according to code in climates prone to heavy snow are designed to withstand the heaviest likely accumulation. Standards may vary in areas where significant snowfall is rare, and requirements for barns and other agricultural outbuildings can differ from those of residential dwellings. Riding arenas, with their large, open expanses, are particularly vulnerable to snow-load collapse.
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