Winter in New England can bring with it frigid temperatures, lots and lots of snow, as well as brilliant, sunny days when the warmth of the sun entices people outside to do some skiing, ice skating or sledding.

Although freshly fallen snow is stunningly beautiful and playing outside on snowy days is fun, homeowners need to be aware that too much of the white stuff could cause the roofs of their homes to collapse.

The typical residential roof should be able to support 20 pounds per square foot of snow before becoming stressed, according to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

The IBHS offers some guidelines to help you determine how much the snow on your roof weighs: Read more →