The snow drift on your roof, that's adding additional weight. When rain comes on top of that, it trickles down through the snow," Bush said. "That rainwater will pool beneath the snow. That inch or so of water covered by the weight of the snow creates pressure."
If left unchecked, that pressure will create a leak.
"The best thing you can do to fix a leak is get the snow off your roof," Bush said. "That's the primary thing. 'Cause if that snow is off, now the water can freely move. The second thing is get the ice dams off of your roof."
Ice dams form during the up-and-down temperature swings along the bottom edges of your roof. Like snow, they can be safely removed from the ground with a snow rake.
Bush also recommended checking areas of your home you may not expect to leak, like closets and guest bedrooms.
