A Roof Check Before the Snow Flies

Published November 4, 2026

1. Look from the ground: shingles, flashing and vents

Walk all the way around the house and scan each slope with binoculars. You are looking for anything that breaks the pattern: a shingle that is lifted or creased, a dark patch where the surface granules have worn off, or a gap where a piece is missing altogether. Pay attention to the edges and the ridge, where wind gets the best grip.

Then look at everything that pokes through the roof. Metal flashing should lie flat against the chimney and along walls. Rubber boots around plumbing vents crack with age and sun, and a split boot is one of the most common small leaks we see. There is no need to climb a ladder for any of this; if something looks wrong, a professional can look closer.

2. Gutters and downspouts before the freeze

Gutters full of maple and oak leaves in November turn into gutters full of ice in December. Once water cannot drain, it freezes in the trough, backs up toward the roof edge and helps an ice dam form. Clear what you can reach safely from a stable ladder on the ground, or have it done, and run a hose to make sure each downspout empties away from the foundation.

While you are there, check that the gutters are still pitched toward the downspouts and that the hangers are tight. A gutter that sags or has pulled away from the fascia will not survive a heavy load of ice. If the whole system needs work, our gutter services cover seamless replacements and guards.

3. The attic: frost, light and insulation

The attic tells you more about winter performance than the roof itself. On a cold morning, take a flashlight up and look at the underside of the roof boards and the nails coming through them. Frost on the nails or the boards means warm, moist air from the house is reaching the attic, which is the same heat that melts snow on the roof and feeds ice dams.

Three more things to note while you are up there: daylight showing through anywhere it should not, insulation that is thin, wet or pushed away from the eaves, and vents along the soffits that are blocked by insulation. Our guide to ice dams explains how ventilation and insulation work together to keep the roof deck cold and even.

4. Storm damage you missed this summer

If a hail or wind storm came through this year and nobody looked at the roof afterward, November is the last good chance. Bruised shingles do not leak right away; they lose their granules, curl over the following seasons, and start to let water in. Dents in the gutters, downspouts and the air-conditioning unit are the easy clue that hail was big enough to matter. Our guide to signs of hail and wind damage has the full list, and homeowners in the lakes area can read about storm damage repair in Brainerd.

5. Trees and limbs over the roof

Branches that rub the shingles wear through them over a winter of wind, and a limb heavy with ice can come down on the roof. Make a note of any branch that hangs over the roof or touches it, and have it trimmed before the snow load arrives.

6. Inside the house

Finish where leaks show up: ceilings in upstairs rooms and closets, the walls under the eaves, and around skylights. A faint brown ring that was not there last spring is worth investigating now. So is peeling paint on the soffits or the fascia boards outside, which often points to water running where it should not.

When to book a professional inspection

Call a roofer when the ground check turns up anything you are unsure about, when there was a storm this year, or when the roof is getting older and you want to know whether it has another winter in it. Omega Exteriors offers a free roof inspection that includes looking for storm damage.

If the inspection finds a problem, a roof repair before the snow is usually quicker and less disruptive than one in January.