Old Dominion is getting another visit from Old Man Winter, according to the National Weather Service. As reported by the Charleston Daily Mail, the NWS has issued a freeze watch over several counties in West Virginia:

A freeze watch has been issued for the counties of Randolph, Pocahontas, Webster, Nicholas, Fayette, Raleigh, Wyoming, McDowell, Taylor, Harrison, Lewis, Gilmer, Doddridge, Ritchie, Tyler, Pleasants and Wood.

“For us it’s primarily rain in the Charleston and Huntington areas,” [meteorologist Joe Merchant said on] Wednesday. “We may see snow mixed with rain tonight overnight. There will be no accumulation in the low-lying areas. We will see lower temperatures throughout the week. Lows tonight will be around freezing at 32 or 33.”

With mountainous counties in neighboring Virginia expecting some relatively late snowfall, it won’t be long until Fairfax, Arlington, and the rest of Northern Virginia follows suit. Many Fairfax, VA roofing companies are advising residents to make last-minute repairs on their roofs. Winterizing homes and repairing roofing systems will prevent ice, hail, and snow damage during the winter months.

Leaks

Having a roof with misaligned or distorted shingles or tiles can substantially increase the odds of ice dams developing. These ice dams will prevent precipitation from reaching the gutters for proper disposal. Water will seep into the tiniest cracks, and will freeze and thaw repeatedly, creating bigger cracks and significant structural damage.

Giant cracks

Beware of small cracks on your roof. These small cracks will allow heat to escape from your home and melt any ice or snow on your roof, allowing water to enter through the slits. The situation becomes worse when temperatures drop further, freezing the collected water. This process can repeat several times during the winter season, resulting in huge cracks.

Failing gutters

Gutters can also suffer from the damaging effects of ice dams when they aren’t cleared of debris before the arrival of snowstorms. As clogged gutters collect ice and water, this buildup will place a heavy burden on the gutters, which aren’t designed to hold such heavy loads. Without proper clean up and remediation, gutters might rip right off homes, damaging anything underneath it.

While DIY roof repair in Fairfax might be easy for more experienced homeowners, it is a dangerous task for inexperienced ones. To prevent injuries, homeowners are advised to hire professional roofing contractors from companies like Northern Virginia Roofing to perform remediation measures and address the effects of ice, hail, and snow damage.

(Article Excerpt and Image from State gears up for snow; the Charleston Daily Mail; October 23, 2013)