Snow cleared from roof of Redmond’s M.A. Lynch Elementary

The Redmond School District has cleared all of the snow off the roof at M.A. Lynch Elementary School after a recommendation from a contract engineer.

Rainer Butler, public information officer for the Redmond School District, said Monday that in the past, this particular school’s roof has seen some issues holding the weight of snow.

Two years ago, when Central Oregon last saw major snowfall, Lynch had to be evacuated because the roof was showing signs of sagging.

This time around, the engineer recommended the district remove half the snow to be within the threshold of weight the roof would allow.

Butler said they decided instead to remove it all — and it was no small task.

“So it took about an entire 8-hour day, ” he said. “It was from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it was a team of about 30 individuals (who) went up there with snow plows and snow shovels, and they meticulously moved pretty much all of the snow,”

“You’ll see a little bit around the edges, but in all the sensitive spots, the snow is gone,” he added.

Butler said since they removed the snow, they’ve seen the sagging in roof eliminated and there’s no threat to students or staff.

He also said they’ve been keeping an eye on ice dams. Crews are working every day to clear any they find throughout all schools in the district.