Avalanche!

The thing I didn't realize about covering the south facing roof with solar panels,is that the slick surface doesn't often collect much snow.

But when you get a lot of snow, it piles up in large sheets, then inches down like a glacier.  It forms a snow overhang, which sprouts beautiful icicles.

 And, randomly, in a thundering rush, all that snow breaks free and sheets off the roof in an enormous avalanche!

This is the side of our neighbor's house, about 25 feet (7 meters) away after it was hit by part of our avalanche.


And this is the rest of our (very narrow) back yard.

This is why we don't allow anyone in the back after a heavy snow until we are sure that all the snow is off the solar panels.

That particular avalanche was only the first few feet of the snow on the roof!