Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: 230RN on March 12, 2019, 07:59:21 AM

Title: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: 230RN on March 12, 2019, 07:59:21 AM
Quote
In Crested Butte (Colorado), Stephan Michael Martel, 25, died and Blair Tulliver Burton, 37, was injured Saturday when snow slid off the roof of a commercial building, Mount Crested Butte Police Department spokeswoman Marjorie Trautman said.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/colorado/articles/2019-03-11/1-killed-2-hurt-by-deep-snow-sliding-from-colorado-rooftops

Many of the roofs in the mountains have rather aggressive pitches to encourage snow to slide off them.  (The one picture I saw on TV of the "commercial building" where the guy was killed had a very strong slope.)

Lots of avalanche and snow control going on.  Lots of mountain passes closed.

Supposedly, a big storm is coming.  Winter weather watch in effect for Wednesday through Saturday.

Terry, 230RN
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: WLJ on March 12, 2019, 08:13:12 AM
Global warming claims another life.
When will this horror end?
Donate now to Al Gore to end this madness.
It's for the mansion #4 remodel, I mean children
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Firethorn on March 12, 2019, 08:38:27 AM
Global warming claims another life.
When will this horror end?
Donate now to Al Gore to end this madness.
It's for the mansion #4 remodel, I mean children

Cute.  But it is global climate change for a reason now.  More heat means more energy, stronger convection cells, leading to more severe weather.  Including snow in select areas.

No need to donate to Al Gore.  Support your local nuclear power plant.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: WLJ on March 12, 2019, 08:45:32 AM
Cute.  But it is global climate change for a reason now.  More heat means more energy, stronger convection cells, leading to more severe weather.  Including snow in select areas.

No need to donate to Al Gore.  Support your local nuclear power plant.

I know, because you can't argue with the term "climate change" because the climate is always changing and has been always changing.
Alert AOC! Ban dinosaur farts!
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: griz on March 12, 2019, 09:28:47 AM
Cute.  But it is global climate change for a reason now.  More heat means more energy, stronger convection cells, leading to more severe weather.  Including snow in select areas.

No need to donate to Al Gore.  Support your local nuclear power plant.


I'm sorry to keep the climate change sidetrack going, but your claims just got under my skin.  You side stepped the "more heat causes more snow, but only in certain areas" argument by saying climate change means "severe" weather.  What is severe?  Is it measurable or is it just a catchy buzzword to avoid the fact that a fraction of a degree over a lifetime isn't a big deal?
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Brad Johnson on March 12, 2019, 09:47:16 AM
Crested Butte is gorgeous but they do get a metric buttload of snow. Thoughts and prayers for the guy's family.

Brad
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: MechAg94 on March 12, 2019, 10:04:07 AM

I'm sorry to keep the climate change sidetrack going, but your claims just got under my skin.  You side stepped the "more heat causes more snow, but only in certain areas" argument by saying climate change means "severe" weather.  What is severe?  Is it measurable or is it just a catchy buzzword to avoid the fact that a fraction of a degree over a lifetime isn't a big deal?
We always hear about the severe weather argument when hurricane season starts and everyone seems to predict more hurricanes than actually occur.  There was plenty of severe weather in the 1800's and other times.  There were just fewer people to witness it and no media to sensationalize it. 

Just imagine if the Little Ice Age occurred today.  The end of the world hysteria would be huge. 
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: WLJ on March 12, 2019, 10:10:29 AM
We always hear about the severe weather argument when hurricane season starts and everyone seems to predict more hurricanes than actually occur.  There was plenty of severe weather in the 1800's and other times.  There were just fewer people to witness it and no media to sensationalize it. 


Not to mention people were smart enough, for the most part, back then to not built right on the beach and/or on barrier islands
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Firethorn on March 12, 2019, 11:51:08 AM

I'm sorry to keep the climate change sidetrack going, but your claims just got under my skin.  You side stepped the "more heat causes more snow, but only in certain areas" argument by saying climate change means "severe" weather.  What is severe?  Is it measurable or is it just a catchy buzzword to avoid the fact that a fraction of a degree over a lifetime isn't a big deal?

Uh, to be clear.
1.  I said more severe, not just severe.  As in whatever weather you're used to, expect more energetic weather events.  It is very much measurable within reasonable error bars, but getting more specific depends on the exact factors and I'm not a climatologist.  It is like how I know the basics on how vaccines work without being a biologist.  So, because I don't have exact numbers(when do you start, end, how far into future, where, etc...), I just provide what I can.
1a.  Everything is also on average.
2.  More snow would be the areas far enough north(or south) to actually get snow, thus select areas.
3.  Fraction of a degree wouldn't be bad.  We're looking at several degrees, and it is causing stuff like melting glaciers.  We're looking at sending ship traffic through the arctic ocean, and are sending expeditions down south to look at land areas that have been under ice for hundreds of thousands of years.
4.  Side note, the extra CO2 is acidifing the oceans, and that is going to have negative effects on the sea life and productivity.
5.  We're actually seeing more hurricanes.  What used to be once every 3-5 years is now like every other year.

I put the explanation in the post as for why.  Convection cells.  Quick science lesson.  The Earth absorbs heat at the equator, and emits it at the poles(on average).  The heat is moved from the equator to the poles via convection, mostly.  Air and oceans.  Add in coriolis effect and you get things like the gulf stream.  More energy makes the convection cells larger and more powerful.  Higher CO2 levels means less reflected heat at the equator, so more energy traveling to the poles.  The last set of convection cells are the polar ones, where hot high air travels to the poles, cools and sinks.  This pushes cold air south.  Make the cell bigger and more energetic and you get cold fronts pushing further south.  Given proper water in the atmosphere, this can lead to more snow.  Where you actually get more snow requires more knowledge and analysis than I am capable of.

Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 12, 2019, 12:32:17 PM
Another gay rights thread, huh?
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Hawkmoon on March 12, 2019, 01:09:19 PM
We always hear about the severe weather argument when hurricane season starts and everyone seems to predict more hurricanes than actually occur.  There was plenty of severe weather in the 1800's and other times.  There were just fewer people to witness it and no media to sensationalize it. 

Just imagine if the Little Ice Age occurred today.  The end of the world hysteria would be huge. 

The worst hurricane that ever hit Connecticut, where I grew up, was in 1938 (before I was born). Obviously, I didn't experience it but my mother and grandparents did, and I have read the reports and seen the photos. The worst hurricane I experienced in Connecticut was Gloria, in 1985. Gloria made Sandy look like a walk in the park.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Hawkmoon on March 12, 2019, 01:10:58 PM
Not to mention people were smart enough, for the most part, back then to not built right on the beach and/or on barrier islands

:Cough:  :Cough: Galveston, TX. Long Island, NY.  :Cough:  :Cough:
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: DittoHead on March 12, 2019, 01:13:25 PM
Another gay rights thread, huh?

Yup. There is an ever-growing list of things I see no point in 'discussing' anymore, here or anywhere else. This is one makes the list.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Hawkmoon on March 12, 2019, 01:17:41 PM

2.  More snow would be the areas far enough north(or south) to actually get snow, thus select areas.
3.  Fraction of a degree wouldn't be bad.  We're looking at several degrees, and it is causing stuff like melting glaciers.  We're looking at sending ship traffic through the arctic ocean, and are sending expeditions down south to look at land areas that have been under ice for hundreds of thousands of years.


What year (or even century) is your baseline?

My corner of the universe gets snow, and in recent years we have seen a LOT less snow than we had most winters when I was a sprout. Had a blizzard that basically shut down the entire state back in 1978 or 1979 -- we haven't seen anything like that in the years since.

As to melting glaciers -- let's not forget that the New York Finger Lakes were carved by glaciers, as was the coastline of Maine. The glaciers at one time extended as far south as roughly the line of U.S. Route 202 across Massachusetts. Should we be holding out for all of upper New England and New York state to be covered with ice again?
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: MechAg94 on March 12, 2019, 03:20:11 PM
Uh, to be clear.
1.  I said more severe, not just severe.  As in whatever weather you're used to, expect more energetic weather events.  It is very much measurable within reasonable error bars, but getting more specific depends on the exact factors and I'm not a climatologist.  It is like how I know the basics on how vaccines work without being a biologist.  So, because I don't have exact numbers(when do you start, end, how far into future, where, etc...), I just provide what I can.
1a.  Everything is also on average.
2.  More snow would be the areas far enough north(or south) to actually get snow, thus select areas.
3.  Fraction of a degree wouldn't be bad.  We're looking at several degrees, and it is causing stuff like melting glaciers.  We're looking at sending ship traffic through the arctic ocean, and are sending expeditions down south to look at land areas that have been under ice for hundreds of thousands of years.
4.  Side note, the extra CO2 is acidifing the oceans, and that is going to have negative effects on the sea life and productivity.
5.  We're actually seeing more hurricanes.  What used to be once every 3-5 years is now like every other year.

I put the explanation in the post as for why.  Convection cells.  Quick science lesson.  The Earth absorbs heat at the equator, and emits it at the poles(on average).  The heat is moved from the equator to the poles via convection, mostly.  Air and oceans.  Add in coriolis effect and you get things like the gulf stream.  More energy makes the convection cells larger and more powerful.  Higher CO2 levels means less reflected heat at the equator, so more energy traveling to the poles.  The last set of convection cells are the polar ones, where hot high air travels to the poles, cools and sinks.  This pushes cold air south.  Make the cell bigger and more energetic and you get cold fronts pushing further south.  Given proper water in the atmosphere, this can lead to more snow.  Where you actually get more snow requires more knowledge and analysis than I am capable of.


1.  As said above, what is your baseline.  There has been severe weather since mankind has recorded such things.  IMO, that is a very general and useless prediction that is so vague that any given data set can be used to prove or disprove.
2.  See #1.
3.  Several degrees where?  Now or someone's prediction?
4.  The extra CO2 isn't near what is has been in the not so distant past.  Did I miss an extinction event?
5.  Where are you talking about?  Do you have a link to something that says there are more hurricanes now? 
6.  Why do you hate gay rights? 
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: MechAg94 on March 12, 2019, 03:21:38 PM
On the roof avalanches:  How do people usually get injured from that?  Is it when they are trying to remove it or are they just standing in the wrong place and the wrong time?  The article did not have that detail.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Brad Johnson on March 12, 2019, 05:13:09 PM
On the roof avalanches:  How do people usually get injured from that?  Is it when they are trying to remove it or are they just standing in the wrong place and the wrong time?  The article did not have that detail.


A wet snow can be darned heavy, about 18-20 lb per cu ft IIRC. A 14"-16" slab say, oh, fifteen or twenty feet square comes in at more than four tons. Also, a slab of falling wet snow will pack like concrete and set almost hard as solid ice under it's own weight. Throw in an ice layer or two and you have a few nice daggers in the mix, too. Some poor schlub standing under an eave with a big slab lets go? He better have a couple of stout buddies real close by with some shovels or he'll end up like this guy.

Brad
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: 230RN on March 12, 2019, 08:11:14 PM
Thanks, Brad and MechAg94

Here's a big roofalanche, and the roof pitch isn't even that sharp.  Looks ike about 18"-2 feet of snow by my calibrated snow-depth eyeballs.

https://youtu.be/ECKGUURUX_A (1:52)

(The real pile falling is about 1:30 if you're impatient.)

In addition, there may be one or more layers of thaw-freeze cycle ice netween layers of nice fluffy stuff which can act like guillotine blades.

Most of the time you see roofalanche videos it's somebody falling off the roof amid a pile of snow, or getting partially buried and everybody laughs ha-ha yuk-yuk.

All this is does not imply this is exclusive to Colorado.

As to how they get started... who knows?  Someone inside the building sneezing, poking at it from outside, or just when force versus friction finally get to a certain point, by explosives laid down by helicopter or artillery fire.

Or by a-hole skiers skiing outside of designated safe areas.

Mountain avalanches can even be started by a loud noise.

Terry, 230RN
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: MechAg94 on March 12, 2019, 11:01:58 PM
Lesson in where not to stand if I find myself up North in Winter. 
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Firethorn on March 13, 2019, 12:00:25 AM
:Cough:  :Cough: Galveston, TX. Long Island, NY.  :Cough:  :Cough:

He said "most" for a reason.  

Funny thing about New Orleans when it flooded, the old French Districts were mostly fine - they built on the highest ground available, not being idiots.  It was the newer areas.

Quote from: MechAg94
1.  As said above, what is your baseline.  There has been severe weather since mankind has recorded such things.  IMO, that is a very general and useless prediction that is so vague that any given data set can be used to prove or disprove.

That's the thing about specifying not even a rate, the baseline is irrelevant, really.  But most of them are basically 50-60 years in the past, because that's when we start having good available data.  Some go as far back as a hundred or two.

3.  Several degrees, on average.  Basically everywhere.  By the vast majority of scientific estimates, by about 2030.  Thus, specifying 1-2 locations that are colder than average for a limited period over the course of not even a year, as is popular here to disclaim global climate change, isn't moving.

Quote
4.  The extra CO2 isn't near what is has been in the not so distant past.  Did I miss an extinction event?

Looks like you have.  Or did you miss that we might be in one right now (https://cosmosmagazine.com/palaeontology/big-five-extinctions)?

As for CO2, No, it really isn't.  We're about 1/3rd higher than ever recorded. (https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide)

We're at 414 ppm and rising.  
Before the 1800s we were at around 275(using ice core data).
Over the last 800,000 years, which I'd consider "distant past", the highest we got was about 300ppm.  So we're about a third over the highest recorded value and rising.

Funny thing I remember reading is that plants grow better in higher CO2 concentrations.  It has to do with their ability to absorb CO2 and reject O2 for photosynthesis.  O2 likes bonding to the same molecule as CO2, so the plant has to spend energy kicking the O2 it doesn't need out to hopefully capture a CO2 molecule next.  Thing is?  This maxes out at around 300ppm, so plants aren't benefiting from higher CO2 levels anymore.

5.  Where are you talking about?  Do you have a link to something that says there are more hurricanes now?

http://www.stormfax.com/huryear.htm

Throw the data into a spreadsheet and graph it.

Quote
6.  Why do you hate gay rights?

Because they're trampling on the rights of others now.  

Quote from: MechAg94
Lesson in where not to stand if I find myself up North in Winter.

A lot of our roofs have cleats on them to prevent snow/ice falls over walkways and entrances.

As to melting glaciers -- let's not forget that the New York Finger Lakes were carved by glaciers, as was the coastline of Maine. The glaciers at one time extended as far south as roughly the line of U.S. Route 202 across Massachusetts. Should we be holding out for all of upper New England and New York state to be covered with ice again?

Gotta go with the slippery slope, do you?  Sane people aren't demanding another ice age.  Merely not pushing us into a hot age.  The extremists would be pushing for about 300 ppm, the highest recorded natural level.  I'd say that where we are now is alarming enough, and that we really should have been hitting the brakes 20-40 years ago.  Really, we've reached the point that coastal damage can only be limited.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Hawkmoon on March 13, 2019, 12:41:46 AM
Here's a big roofalanche, and the roof pitch isn't even that sharp.  Looks ike about 18"-2 feet of snow by my calibrated snow-depth eyeballs.

https://youtu.be/ECKGUURUX_A (1:52)

(The real pile falling is about 1:30 if you're impatient.)


I'm amazed that anyone in Colorado would build anything with a sloped metal roof and not install snow guards to prevent exactly this sort of issue.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: TommyGunn on March 13, 2019, 12:58:38 AM
The worst hurricane that ever hit Connecticut, where I grew up, was in 1938 (before I was born). Obviously, I didn't experience it but my mother and grandparents did, and I have read the reports and seen the photos. The worst hurricane I experienced in Connecticut was Gloria, in 1985. Gloria made Sandy look like a walk in the park.
 

My mother survived the 1938 hurricane.
I survived Gloria in 1985.  About three or four days without power,   some washed out roads, so no biggie .... but the company I worked for was a bit stupid about how they prepared for it .... which is another story.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: 230RN on March 13, 2019, 01:41:11 AM
Hawkmoon mentioned,

"I'm amazed that anyone in Colorado would build anything with a sloped metal roof and not install snow guards to prevent exactly this sort of issue."

It's to save the roof from collapsing under the weight of the snow. You will notice that the "corrugatons" of the sheet metal roof in the previous video were up-and-down rather than side to side to avoid capturing the snow and the snowmelt.  In fact, one of the problems is "snow dams" forming in rain gutters, which keep the snowmelt from flowing away.

Flat roofs are in fact very subject to collapse from the snow load.

(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkbnd.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2F011217%2520Kenwood%2520aerial%2520crop_800x562.jpg&hash=c36cad1de20e9e1c200f35e24ce77a608e693869)

However, one solution to the "problem" of being injured in a roofalanche or having the roof collapse is to continue a severely-sloped roof right down to the ground.  Thus, the "A-Frame" design which is popular in mountain areas routinely subject to heavy snowfalls.

(https://cdn.designrulz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/A-frame-house-designrulz-14.jpg)

Terry, 230RN

Pic credits in properties.

Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Hawkmoon on March 13, 2019, 01:57:46 AM
Hawkmoon queried,

"I'm amazed that anyone in Colorado would build anything with a sloped metal roof and not install snow guards to prevent exactly this sort of issue."

To save the roof from collapsing under the weight of the snow. You will notice that the "corrugatons" of the sheet metal roof were up-and-down rather than side to side to avoid capturing the snow and the snowmelt.  In fact, one of the problems is "snow dams" in the rain gutters, which keep the snowmelt from flowing away.


Ummmm ... sorry, not just "No" but "Hell no."

Building codes require the structure to support the weight of snow. How much weight is based on tables and charts that are dependent on location. There are also provisions for the additional weight of drifted snow where roofs of different heights are adjacent. The building codes do NOT allow any reduction in the required snow load for the possibility that the snow might slide off.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: 230RN on March 13, 2019, 03:39:52 AM
Aw, c'mon, Hawkmoon.  Think about what I said and about what you're saying.

Ayup, built to code.  Yet roofs still collapse.

(https://cbsdenver.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/roof-collapse.jpg)

You're talking about building stresses within the ASSUMED limits of the Code-makers.

Safety factor, let's say 50% or whatever you choose.  But I reckon they had a 51% snowfall. So yes, hell yes.

And since vertical snow load is dependent on the roof angle, there's no wonder flat roofs are more vulnerable and A-frames less so.

"The building codes do NOT allow any reduction in the required
snow load for the possibility that the snow might slide off."  I did not say they did.

The point is that all the engineering that goes into safe building codes are based on given stresses plus safety factors balanced against costs, etc.  But what if the snow load is over that safety factor?

Yes, hell yes, you get roof collapses. And I know you do a lot of architectural work.

So yes, hell yes, you get actual honest-to-Gawd roof collapses, no kiddin' around, no argument, building codes notwithstanding.

It's sort of like saying "Yes, within this area, it is safe for 100-year floods."  Then there's a 500-year flood..

With all due respect, "Man deposes, G-d disposes."

=D
Terry
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Hawkmoon on March 13, 2019, 10:26:52 AM
Aw, c'mon, Hawkmoon.  Think about what I said and about what you're saying.

Ayup, built to code.  Yet roofs still collapse.

Yes, they do. Usually because they are older structures that would not meet current codes, but sometimes because somebody made a mistake (such as the collapse of the Hartford Civic Center back in the late 1970s or early 1980s).

Quote
You're talking about building stresses within the ASSUMED limits of the Code-makers.

Safety factor, let's say 50% or whatever you choose.  But I reckon they had a 51% snowfall. So yes, hell yes.

And since vertical snow load is dependent on the roof angle, there's no wonder flat roofs are more vulnerable and A-frames less so.

"The building codes do NOT allow any reduction in the required
snow load for the possibility that the snow might slide off."  I did not say they did.

The point is that all the engineering that goes into safe building codes are based on given stresses plus safety factors balanced against costs, etc.  But what if the snow load is over that safety factor?

Yes, hell yes, you get roof collapses. And I know you do a lot of architectural work.

So yes, hell yes, you get actual honest-to-Gawd roof collapses, no kiddin' around, no argument, building codes notwithstanding.

I never said there aren't collapses. I've even investigated a couple. What I said is that building codes don't allow any reduction in the roof snow load the engineer designs for because the architect didn't call for snow guards. And I don't know any architect or structural engineer who would include the possibility of snow sliding off a roof as a parameter in calculating the load they would design the roof structure to support.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Ben on March 13, 2019, 11:07:51 AM
Yes, they do. Usually because they are older structures that would not meet current codes, but sometimes because somebody made a mistake (such as the collapse of the Hartford Civic Center back in the late 1970s or early 1980s).

In the Idaho Snowmaggedon of 2017, quite a few roofs collapsed. Some because they were older, but others because the roof load and pitch requirements had been reduced in some counties due to some decades of less snow. I guess they figured that was the "new norm" and then Mother Nature gave them a slap.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: griz on March 13, 2019, 11:31:25 AM
 Really, we've reached the point that coastal damage can only be limited.

I'm still not convinced, and frankly I think the powers that be at NOAA, NASA, EDF (and many more) are not convinced that the sea level has us doomed to drown.  The reason is simple:  DC and New York city, where their headquarters are, are pretty close to seas level already, and nobody is making plans to move.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Brad Johnson on March 13, 2019, 01:18:38 PM
Siding with 230 on this one.

Just because a roof is designed and constructed properly doesn't mean it's immune to problems, or that the load spec is necessarily accurate for the locale.

Design specs are invariably keyed to "most probable" event scenarios with some modicum of safety margin built in. The specs are usually developed based on the structure's expected service life and the likelihood of an event's occurrence during that time (like considering 50-, 100-, and 500-year flood levels when designing a bridge with an expected 30 year service life). All it takes is one instance of an improbability, or an unforseen combination of within-probability extremes, for that safety margin to be exceeded. That happens way more often than people like to admit, especially professionals who's reputation and income depend on consumer perception of design safety. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has a tendency to bitch slap statistical probabilities right where it hurts.

We had the issue of unexpected combinations here at the Museum back in Dec 2016. Two snowfalls and a period of low temps, all three events within statistical probability (albeit on the extreme ends) and given consideration in building design and construction. Unfortunately the design probabilities were considered on an independent basis, not as concurrent events. We ended up with an unmelted extreme snowfall topped by another extreme snowfall. Ultimately the snowpack weight exceeded roof load specs and we had a partial collapse.

Brad
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: brimic on March 13, 2019, 05:38:43 PM
Never look up a plumbing drain pipe, and never stand under a roof when they are clearing it off.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Scout26 on March 13, 2019, 05:44:44 PM
Sorry, but I don't think that one guy getting squished by a bunch of snow is reason to completely destroy our economy and go back to living in mud huts.

From what I recall reading and seeing on charts, was that CO2 was a trailing indicator of climate change.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Brad Johnson on March 13, 2019, 05:45:47 PM

From what I recall reading and seeing on charts, was that CO2 was a trailing indicator of climate change.


It is. Depending on the study quote, the lag is between 200 and 500 years. It came from Vostok ice core data. From what I recall, they are looking at the way ice takes up atmospheric CO2 to try and eliminate (or at least greatly minimize) the discrepancy.

Brad
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Hawkmoon on March 13, 2019, 06:18:44 PM

Just because a roof is designed and constructed properly doesn't mean it's immune to problems, or that the load spec is necessarily accurate for the locale.

Design specs are invariably keyed to "most probable" event scenarios with some modicum of safety margin built in. The specs are usually developed based on the structure's expected service life and the likelihood of an event's occurrence during that time (like considering 50-, 100-, and 500-year flood levels when designing a bridge with an expected 30 year service life). All it takes is one instance of an improbability, or an unforseen combination of within-probability extremes, for that safety margin to be exceeded. That happens way more often than people like to admit, especially professionals who's reputation and income depend on consumer perception of design safety. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has a tendency to bitch slap statistical probabilities right where it hurts.

I don't deny that the possibility of an overload exists, nor have I said that collapses don't or can't happen. Building codes are based on a consensus process. They aren't perfect, but their intention is to protect life and property. What I said is that the omission of snow guards on a sloped, metal roof is an irresponsible act. It's a bug, not a feature. I will guarantee with about a 99.375 percent certainty that the snow guards were not intentionally omitted in order to facilitate snow sliding off in roofalanches. They were omitted either to save money, or because the designers didn't think about having them installed.

The "specs" for roof loadings aren't made up by the architects or engineers -- they are established by the building code. These days, all states use the International Building Code, so there is a level playing field. Engineers can design more conservatively, but they can't design for less than the snow load established by the building code. Sadly, in the real world virtually no engineer ever designs for more load than what the code establishes for the simple reason that it would cost more, and clients won't pay for more than the minimum loads established by the code.

The roof in the video that prompted my comment didn't even have snow guards over the front entrance. IMHO that's professionally negligent. Watch the video at 1:28 if you want to know why.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: MechAg94 on March 13, 2019, 06:54:47 PM
It is. Depending on the study quote, the lag is between 200 and 500 years. It came from Vostok ice core data. From what I recall, they are looking at the way ice takes up atmospheric CO2 to try and eliminate (or at least greatly minimize) the discrepancy.

Brad
That sort of sounds like they have an answer and trying to revise the question.  Either way, it is another reason I don't favor any drastic actions.  We just don't know enough yet. 
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: charby on March 14, 2019, 11:43:12 AM
That sort of sounds like they have an answer and trying to revise the question.  Either way, it is another reason I don't favor any drastic actions.  We just don't know enough yet. 

I work in agriculture and I go to a lot of agronomy meetings, most directed at the individual farmer, so the science is scaled down to make understandable for the masses. There is always a PhD or 2 that gives a talk at these meetings, yes global warming/climate change has been mentioned by them for a least 10 years or slightly longer when talking climate or long term growing conditions. Most the talk has been about wetter springs and falls, perhaps having the change to a longer day corn or different maturity group soybeans to maximize yield potential. Nothing about stop using tractors and going back to horses. More about thinking about how to adapt to change.

Now the discussion has changed from high temps are rising, but that the high temps haven't changed much, but the low temps are rising. Even the chemical companies are talking about this, especially in season long weed control with pioneer weed/pest species. They aren't selling that chemicals are going to take care of your entire weed problem alone, but selecting chemicals and application timing along with farming practices to combat weeds/pests in the changing climate. That conversation has really changed, from 100% chemical control to mixing chemical/biological/cultural practices to control pests/weeds. I think they are experiencing part of what scientists have been saying and that change of the climate is affecting US agriculture. 
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: makattak on March 14, 2019, 12:00:25 PM
I work in agriculture and I go to a lot of agronomy meetings, most directed at the individual farmer, so the science is scaled down to make understandable for the masses. There is always a PhD or 2 that gives a talk at these meetings, yes global warming/climate change has been mentioned by them for a least 10 years or slightly longer when talking climate or long term growing conditions. Most the talk has been about wetter springs and falls, perhaps having the change to a longer day corn or different maturity group soybeans to maximize yield potential. Nothing about stop using tractors and going back to horses. More about thinking about how to adapt to change.

Now the discussion has changed from high temps are rising, but that the high temps haven't changed much, but the low temps are rising. Even the chemical companies are talking about this, especially in season long weed control with pioneer weed/pest species. They aren't selling that chemicals are going to take care of your entire weed problem alone, but selecting chemicals and application timing along with farming practices to combat weeds/pests in the changing climate. That conversation has really changed, from 100% chemical control to mixing chemical/biological/cultural practices to control pests/weeds. I think they are experiencing part of what scientists have been saying and that change of the climate is affecting US agriculture. 

Ok, can we, then nail down that the prediction is that the temperatures will RISE, ON AVERAGE, over the next decade?

Because the weasel words in the press have all been trying NOT to say that.

I want a firm prediction (like science is supposed to provide) about the rise in temperatures and an amount that will be correct within +/- 10%. So we can test the hypothesis.

Because the models have all been wrong, every time, for my entire life. Yet, somehow we're supposed to ignore that and accept that they've been right all along.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: griz on March 14, 2019, 12:26:09 PM
Ok, can we, then nail down that the prediction is that the temperatures will RISE, ON AVERAGE, over the next decade?

Because the weasel words in the press have all been trying NOT to say that.

I want a firm prediction (like science is supposed to provide) about the rise in temperatures and an amount that will be correct within +/- 10%. So we can test the hypothesis.

Because the models have all been wrong, every time, for my entire life. Yet, somehow we're supposed to ignore that and accept that they've been right all along.

That's been my problem.  If "they" could come up with a model, agreed upon by the same majority, that accurately reflects what has happened in the past 100 years, I would change my mind.  As it is now they only agree that industry, internal combustion engines, and cows, are bad.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: charby on March 14, 2019, 01:44:51 PM
That's been my problem.  If "they" could come up with a model, agreed upon by the same majority, that accurately reflects what has happened in the past 100 years, I would change my mind.  As it is now they only agree that industry, internal combustion engines, and cows, are bad.

I've seen the charts/graphs of the past, just about every agronomy meeting I go to. Google will present you with more peer reviewed charts than you can read and interpret in a rational amount of time.

Science deniers still refuse to look at them, make up every excuse not to believe the data, or at least rationally (without emotion) discuss it. Then you hear the arguments against with Greenland and Vikings farming it, then the medieval warm up before the little ice age, etc. Usually by people who's only science background is a rocks for jocks class at the local community college.

Need to read the X and Y access value before opening your mouth, yes the lines look dramatic, but the Y axis has pretty small number temperature change vs the wide spread of the X axis of time.

The climate people I tend to side with are the ones who say yes, we do show that annual global temps have been on the rise, not sure if it will continue and still uncertain if it really influenced by mankind, creating or saving. If it continues to rise, we are going to be forced to change many practices such as growing food and where we live.

Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: makattak on March 14, 2019, 02:32:08 PM
I've seen the charts/graphs of the past, just about every agronomy meeting I go to. Google will present you with more peer reviewed charts than you can read and interpret in a rational amount of time.

Science deniers still refuse to look at them, make up every excuse not to believe the data, or at least rationally (without emotion) discuss it. Then you hear the arguments against with Greenland and Vikings farming it, then the medieval warm up before the little ice age, etc. Usually by people who's only science background is a rocks for jocks class at the local community college.

Need to read the X and Y access value before opening your mouth, yes the lines look dramatic, but the Y axis has pretty small number temperature change vs the wide spread of the X axis of time.

The climate people I tend to side with are the ones who say yes, we do show that annual global temps have been on the rise, not sure if it will continue and still uncertain if it really influenced by mankind, creating or saving. If it continues to rise, we are going to be forced to change many practices such as growing food and where we live.

I'm an economist by training, so I'm intimately familiar with models and with people who place absolute certainty in models that end up being spectacularly wrong.

I assume you are in agronomy. Now, I'm not a trained agronomist, but I am very interested in my garden and have a lifelong familiarity with growing things.

I have to ask you a question about changing what food you grow in Iowa: Do you know the size of the plant hardiness zones? How many things does Iowa grow that can only survive in 5a and will wither from the heat of 6a? (Incidentally, I'm fairly certain that much a change in temperature is actually outside of even the median of the mostly wrong models.)
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Jamisjockey on March 14, 2019, 03:09:27 PM
Not to mention people were smart enough, for the most part, back then to not built right on the beach and/or on barrier islands

LOL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900_Galveston_hurricane
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: MechAg94 on March 14, 2019, 03:09:52 PM
I've seen the charts/graphs of the past, just about every agronomy meeting I go to. Google will present you with more peer reviewed charts than you can read and interpret in a rational amount of time.

Science deniers still refuse to look at them, make up every excuse not to believe the data, or at least rationally (without emotion) discuss it. Then you hear the arguments against with Greenland and Vikings farming it, then the medieval warm up before the little ice age, etc. Usually by people who's only science background is a rocks for jocks class at the local community college.

Need to read the X and Y access value before opening your mouth, yes the lines look dramatic, but the Y axis has pretty small number temperature change vs the wide spread of the X axis of time.

The climate people I tend to side with are the ones who say yes, we do show that annual global temps have been on the rise, not sure if it will continue and still uncertain if it really influenced by mankind, creating or saving. If it continues to rise, we are going to be forced to change many practices such as growing food and where we live.


Part of my problem is 1) I really dislike all the "sky is falling" nonsense pushed by the media and the political people, 2) there is a lot of erroneous or filtered data put out in the past by "believers" trying to justify their belief, and 3) the political solutions people present are just pure communism and won't help one bit.  I don't know what data to trust.  I just know this idea that civilization will end is complete BS.  Discussing how we might see minor shifts in the coming years/decades that will affect how we do certain things is a whole lot more reasonable and something that would be more interesting to talk about.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-yALPEpV4w
Listened to this last night.  Sounds like he is a environmentalist who has become more realistic and solution oriented.  He talks a lot about how nuclear power is actually a good thing.  
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Scout26 on March 14, 2019, 03:30:38 PM
Part of my problem is 1)  Discussing how we might see minor shifts in the coming years/decades that will affect how we do certain things is a whole lot more reasonable and something that would be more interesting to talk about.  
 

But then you can't herd the masses into mud huts to sit in the dark and eat gruel while their "betters" jet set around the country/planet using all their electronic devices, and eating steak...
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Ben on March 14, 2019, 03:35:50 PM
The climate people I tend to side with are the ones who say yes, we do show that annual global temps have been on the rise, not sure if it will continue and still uncertain if it really influenced by mankind, creating or saving. If it continues to rise, we are going to be forced to change many practices such as growing food and where we live.

Now, now... thinking like that might lead to productive conversation. Just stop it. :P

I will give fed.gov credit for trying to create that conversation through the term "climate resiliency", which we were using through the Bush and Obama admins. You simply accept that climate is variable, nevermind the cause, thus you look at planning human infrastructure  to be resilient to it. The problem was that the "administrator scientists" (different from actual, operational scientists) wanted to play politics and thus tied it into the AGW and then later "climate change" politics, because that's where the budget money was. So now climate (and we should include "weather") resiliency is lumped in with the AGW "we have 12 years to live!" stuff and we can't have constructive conversations.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: makattak on March 14, 2019, 03:48:16 PM
Now, now... thinking like that might lead to productive conversation. Just stop it. :P

I will give fed.gov credit for trying to create that conversation through the term "climate resiliency", which we were using through the Bush and Obama admins. You simply accept that climate is variable, nevermind the cause, thus you look at planning human infrastructure  to be resilient to it. The problem was that the "administrator scientists" (different from actual, operational scientists) wanted to play politics and thus tied it into the AGW and then later "climate change" politics, because that's where the budget money was. So now climate (and we should include "weather") resiliency is lumped in with the AGW "we have 12 years to live!" stuff and we can't have constructive conversations.

Another data point is that the people who most zealously buy into these crap models do things like, to pick a random example, fail to maintain or build new reservoirs for a growing population because "rain and snow are a thing of the past."

But spend billions on a train to nowhere.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Ben on March 14, 2019, 04:07:33 PM
Another data point is that the people who most zealously buy into these crap models do things like, to pick a random example, fail to maintain or build new reservoirs for a growing population because "rain and snow are a thing of the past."

But spend billions on a train to nowhere.

Yup. And in that state, ironically, this last drought would have been a nothingburger had Jerry Brown of all people, in the 70's, been allowed to finish his father's legacy with just one more strategically placed reservoir.

The objection to that at the time was by the parents of the people who now will not say the word "nuclear" when talking about atmospheric carbon reduction.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: charby on March 14, 2019, 04:38:09 PM
I'm an economist by training, so I'm intimately familiar with models and with people who place absolute certainty in models that end up being spectacularly wrong.

I assume you are in agronomy. Now, I'm not a trained agronomist, but I am very interested in my garden and have a lifelong familiarity with growing things.

I have to ask you a question about changing what food you grow in Iowa: Do you know the size of the plant hardiness zones? How many things does Iowa grow that can only survive in 5a and will wither from the heat of 6a? (Incidentally, I'm fairly certain that much a change in temperature is actually outside of even the median of the mostly wrong models.)

Sorry, I was referring to the a chart that shows global temps from the past 100 years or longer. Something as big as the global climate and how varied it is, really hard to get an exact model to predict the future. You can build models that product many trend lines, but picking what trend is actually going to happen is near impossible until you move closer to an event, kind of like hurricane models.

Growing zones is not so much of a food plant withering in heat, but can it survive the winter temps, think more on perennial plants here. there are a few plants that will not do well in warmer temps, like rhubarb and some blueberries, so you're not wrong. Apples need so many days of cold weather dormancy too, why you don't find much fruit bearing apples south of Memphis, TN.

More with a rising low temps, places like Iowa are going to have a longer growing season. Need to think in terms of growing degree days and not hardiness zones for annual crops. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growing_degree-day

Growing degree days is not a new thing, it is how many grass type crops, like corn and wheat varieties are picked for a certain area.

No, I don't think all of Iowa will ever become hardiness zone 6, but the southern bottom counties may in time. I grew up in SE IA, we can grow apricots there and harvest a crop about 9 out ten years. Late frost at blossom set is what happens for the 2 out of ten years. Where I live now near the Minnesota border, maybe 1 out of 10 years I would get a apricot harvest. Tree would survive just fine, except for those 1 out of 25 years like this winter where the actual temp drops below -25F for a few days and kills the apricot tree (cold snaps the vascular tissue in the stem). Going to be a lot of zone 4 peach trees dead this year in north Iowa/southern Minnesota.

But adjustments that are being made is something like picking a corn variety with a few more growing degree days to maturity to protect existing yield. More CO2 means more CO2 for early weeds that emerge as soon as the soil warms in the spring, higher low temps mean more growing degree days for weeds to grow. More CO2, more carbon for the crop, grow taller faster, needs more nutrient inputs. Slightly warmer winter temps means more insects over winter, etc. Just a slight increase changes lots of variables.

Growing a home garden is easy to control, try basing your living on a few thousand acres of corn and soybeans where it is currently hard to break even, let alone make a profit. Having to spend an extra $10-30 an acre for fertilizer or herbicide might take any profit away or make you go into the hole.

Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: charby on March 14, 2019, 04:38:56 PM
Now, now... thinking like that might lead to productive conversation. Just stop it. :P

I will give fed.gov credit for trying to create that conversation through the term "climate resiliency", which we were using through the Bush and Obama admins. You simply accept that climate is variable, nevermind the cause, thus you look at planning human infrastructure  to be resilient to it. The problem was that the "administrator scientists" (different from actual, operational scientists) wanted to play politics and thus tied it into the AGW and then later "climate change" politics, because that's where the budget money was. So now climate (and we should include "weather") resiliency is lumped in with the AGW "we have 12 years to live!" stuff and we can't have constructive conversations.

I don't disagree
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: 230RN on March 15, 2019, 06:54:57 PM
Sorry, but I don't think that one guy getting squished by a bunch of snow is reason to completely destroy our economy and go back to living in mud huts.

From what I recall reading and seeing on charts, was that CO2 was a trailing indicator of climate change.

I frankly did not think my OP would go off on climate variability, so don't blame me.

I had no idea the thread would take off in that direction.  I just meant the OP as precautionary in the same way as "look out for avalanches" but in this particular situation of hanging around  under a snow-laden roof.

As I said, most of the roofalanche videos are funny in a Three Stooges sense, but Bad Things Can Happen Anyhow.

BTCHA

I just guess some folks were cocked and locked to interpret the OP that way, though.

But since Pandora got out of the box, my longstanding position on climate change is (per attachment), "It's your sample size, stupid!  You can't tell a damned thing from only 200 years of measurements !"

So call me in 1000 years and tell me how it's going.

Terry, 230RN

Temp, CO2, over 400,000 years by proxy.  The validity, despite the noisiness, is proven by the eyeball-obvious regularity of the major cycles.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Scout26 on March 15, 2019, 07:04:41 PM
I frankly did not think my OP would go off on climate variability, so don't blame me.

I had no idea the thread would take off in that direction.  I just meant the OP as precautionary in the same way as "look out for avalanches" but in this particular situation of hanging around  under a snow-laden roof.

As I said, most of the roofalanche videos are funny in a Three Stooges sense, but Bad Things Can Happen Anyhow.

BTCHA

Terry



Thread drift is a feature, not a bug on APS.


Getting back to the point CHarby made.  Yes, farmers need to be prepared for climate change.  However, they need to be prepared both ways, for longer/warmer ad shorter/colder.   Given the changes in the Erf's magnetic field, along with the Giant Ball of Fusing Hydrogen going into it's "less active" cycle.  I forsee and predict that Erf will get colder and not warmer... But that doesn't reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.   

If the Climate Changers (and yes, the Erf's climate frequently changes), were honest that it really is about going green, then they would demanding and marching for Nuclear Power plants.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: 230RN on March 15, 2019, 07:41:04 PM
"Thread drift is a feature, not a bug on APS."

Oh, I know.  That's why I never said anything about it in "my" thread until now.  I confined myself to stuff related to snow on roofs.

The thread kind of oscillated between that and the fyoocher of the Erf.

(I did not mean Pandora got out of the box, I meant that all the stuff got out of Pandora's box.)

Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: zxcvbob on March 15, 2019, 08:42:10 PM
Yup. And in that state, ironically, this last drought would have been a nothingburger had Jerry Brown of all people, in the 70's, been allowed to finish his father's legacy with just one more strategically placed reservoir.

The objection to that at the time was by the parents of the people who now will not say the word "nuclear" when talking about atmospheric carbon reduction.

(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quickmeme.com%2Fimg%2Fab%2Fab32ca63f3cf210c253a92780beda430d37b32bc0cc9e8a9856d1c2f72d8b56a.jpg&hash=287f57a4d31e00a837e888a729e913387683387e)
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: 230RN on March 15, 2019, 11:38:20 PM
I'm hearing that more and more lately, even from the pros.  Must be an imitation thing.  Like Febyooary or Liberrery.
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Sindawe on March 16, 2019, 05:42:18 AM
I'm amazed that anyone in Colorado would build anything with a sloped metal roof and not install snow guards to prevent exactly this sort of issue.

Oh they do.  Metal roofs seem to be in vogue in lots of new home construction around here.  And they have snow guards on them.  Nice clear plastic (looks like brittle polystyrene from what I can see) that will bend or snap off when the first good snow slab starts moving.   
Title: Re: Man killed in snow roofalanche.
Post by: Hawkmoon on March 16, 2019, 11:16:31 AM
Oh they do.  Metal roofs seem to be in vogue in lots of new home construction around here.  And they have snow guards on them.  Nice clear plastic (looks like brittle polystyrene from what I can see) that will bend or snap off when the first good snow slab starts moving.   

 :facepalm:   :facepalm:   [ar15]