Question

What is a snow arrester?

Answer

A snow arrester is a bar located above a roof eave that prevents snow from sliding off a roof. It retains the snow blanket on warm roofs so that the snow insulates the melt water on the roof surface, keeping it from freezing and forming ice dams. It is sometimes used in conjunction with heated gutters. The arrester must maintain at least a 12-inch- (30-centimeter-) thick snow blanket in order to work.