Roof rake · snow brace · not a kit

How to remove snow from a high tunnel: roof rakes, temporary braces, and when to pull the plastic (sourced)

Growers search high tunnel snow removal, hoop house snow load, how to keep snow off a high tunnel, snow braces, roof rake for greenhouse, and should I take the plastic off for winter as first snows reach Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Ohio, and Washington. This page is the snow-prep sibling — how to take snow off without tearing film, temporary 2×4 / jack-post braces, when Pennsylvania NRCS says to roll or pull the cover, and last-resort slitting plastic to save the bows. Gothic vs Quonset geometry stays on gothic vs Quonset. Vendor heavy-snow SKU copy stays on Rimol Nor'Easter vs Bootstrap 30′ snow. Heaters stay on how to heat a high tunnel. Inflation blowers stay on double-poly inflation. Patch tape stays on plastic repair tape. Zone bands stay on USDA zone 4 vs zone 8. It is not a commercially manufactured high-tunnel kit and not a USDA payment schedule.

Extension quotes copied 19 October 2026, about 03:30 UTC from UVM Callahan (13 August 2024), Illinois Extension Aly (23 January 2025), Missouri IPM Trinklein (16 February 2021), UConn Bartok, Penn State High Tunnel Production, the live Pennsylvania NRCS seasonal high tunnel page, and the High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ. MSU Owen 2017 is a greenhouse page — live canr.msu.edu returned Incapsula tonight; copy is from the Wayback capture of that same URL. UMN Janni is farm buildings, not hoop film. Featured Amazon prices copied the same night. A missing featured price stays an em dash. Ratings are not copied. Seller reach, load, and “greenhouse” lines stay labeled seller claims. Rimol sentences on the UVM page and Bootstrap Essential Gothic copy stay labeled vendor copy. This page does not invent a snow-load PSF, an inches-of-snow collapse threshold, or an EQIP dollar. Illinois’s “inch or two” sentence is quoted as printed — it is not a load table.

Kit index: commercially manufactured kits. Replacement-parts directory: high-tunnel replacement parts. Size map: high-tunnel sizes. Film: 6-mil plastic replacement. Wiggle wire: lock channel / spring wire. Roll-up sides: sidewall vents. Shade cloth: high-tunnel shade cloth. Pennsylvania ranking: EQIP high tunnel Pennsylvania. New York ranking: EQIP high tunnel New York. Michigan ranking: EQIP high tunnel Michigan. Affiliate method: about / disclosure. County inspection: EQIP checklist.

Take it off both sides

Wet snow sticks. One side heavier than the other twists the bows. Land-grant pages treat that as a both-sides job, a little at a time — not a rooftop climb on film.

Clear snow evenly from both sides, a little bit at a time, to prevent eccentric loading on the bows (takes longer, but may prevent damage).

Source: Chris Callahan, UVM Extension Ag Engineering — A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather (13 August 2024). Sibling PDF: High Tunnels Extreme Weather 13 August 2024. Grower note on that page: Also using the snow removal strategy that Ed [Person, of Ledgewood] always shares about pulling a little bit of the snow off from the middle of one side and then going around and doing the same thing on the other side. It takes forever.

Snow removal techniques can include brooming off from the outsides; attaching soft bristled or padded broom heads on extendable poles and pushing up on the plastic from the inside, being carefully not to puncture the plastic; running forced air type heaters inside the tunnel; and any other means that can shed snow.

Source: Bronwyn Aly, Illinois Extension — Be diligent in snow and ice removal on high tunnels (23 January 2025). Remove any shade cloth material from the outside of the tunnel as snow and ice can accumulate quite easily on the porous material compared to the slick surface of the plastic. Don’t wait until after a snow or ice event to begin the removal process as this may put the whole structure at risk of collapse. Forced-air heaters stay on how to heat a high tunnel. Shade-cloth hardware stays on high-tunnel shade cloth.

Depending on your high tunnel structure, an inch or two probably isn’t going to cause damage but additional accumulations could become problematic and when considering the economic investment and potential returns, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Source: Bronwyn Aly, Illinois Extension — Be diligent in snow and ice removal on high tunnels (23 January 2025). Quoted as printed. This page does not turn “an inch or two” into a collapse threshold or a snow-load table.

A rope thrown over the top of the structure and “walked” back and forth by workers holding the rope on either side can help to remove snow, especially from the high tunnel’s ridge area. Snow that builds up on the sides of the ribs can be manually scraped off with a rake or scrapper with an extra long handle attached. Make sure that a material that will not damage plastic is attached to the bottom of the scraper. Also, a wooden pole or three-inch PVC pipe with several layers of carpet affixed to the end can be used to push or “poke” the plastic from the inside of the unit. The flexing of the plastic that occurs from this procedure causes snow that has built up to slide off, in many cases.

Source: David Trinklein, University of Missouri IPM — Snow Removal from High Tunnels (16 February 2021).

Gear up! Consider getting a snow shovel with an extra-long handle, a wide long handled broom with soft bristles, and a good pair of snowshoes.

Source: Chris Callahan, UVM Extension Ag Engineering — A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather (13 August 2024). Grower on that page: During or after a storm, we snowblow the paths, pull the snow off the greenhouses with a cushioned snow rake and re-blow the paths.

In other instances, growers may use snow rakes to pull the snow off. Operators should again be cautious to not pierce the poly or allow snow to accumulate along the sidewall (Photo 3), which could crush it in.

Source: W. Garrett Owen, Michigan State University Extension — Ensure your greenhouses withstand the snow load (15 December 2017). Live page blocked by Incapsula tonight; copy from Wayback 2024 capture of the same URL. Greenhouse page, not CPS 325. Wet snows can weigh four times as much as dry snows, causing a considerable amount of weight baring down upon every square foot of greenhouse roof surface. That “four times” line is MSU’s greenhouse wet-vs-dry sentence — not a high-tunnel PSF.

Use snow rakes or specialty tools that can be used from the ground or portable scaffolding. Avoid excessive scraping on the roof or trying to chip off the ice. These practices can damage the roof and lead to a leaky roof.

Source: Kevin A. Janni, University of Minnesota Extension — Prevent roof collapses from snow and ice (reviewed 2026). Farm buildings and metal roofs, not hoop-house film. This page does not copy that article’s residential or agricultural building PSF figures onto a high tunnel.

A 36-inch, soft bristle shop broom works well for clearing snow from poly. Use the brush to bounce the poly between bows, which will help snow naturally drift off and minimize the risk of tearing.

Vendor copy: Mike Bisogno, Rimol, quoted on Chris Callahan, UVM Extension Ag Engineering — A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather (13 August 2024). Not a stamped load. Do not let snow build up along the sides of your greenhouse – keeping the sides cleared will make sure the snow on the roof has a place to slide.

Temporary braces, then last-resort slit

Posts do not replace snow removal. They buy time while you work both sides.

Consider temporary bracing with 2×4 posts under hoops especially in Quonset hut style tunnels or those with weaker hoops.

Source: Chris Callahan, UVM Extension Ag Engineering — A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather (13 August 2024).

Finally, adding internal support in the form of temporary purlin posts extending from the ground to the apex of every second or third rib can be very helpful in preventing snow damage. Wooden 2X4's make excellent supports and are relatively easy to install if two of them are pieced together. Make certain, however, the internal support sits on something with a fairly wide “footprint” (e.g. concrete block) so the weight of the snow does not push the end of the support into the soil.

Source: David Trinklein, University of Missouri IPM — Snow Removal from High Tunnels (16 February 2021). Missouri also names four-foot vs six-foot rib spacing and an A-truss about eight feet up — construction notes, not a shopping list. Given the same pipe diameter, a high tunnel with four-foot rib spacing will be significantly stronger than one with six foot spacing.

In snow country, if the tunnel will remain covered during the winter 2 x 4 wood posts should be placed under the ridge for support about ever third or fourth hoop.

Source: John W. Bartok, Jr., University of Connecticut — Engineering High Tunnels for Better Performance. To resist collapsing from heavy snow loads, a few 2 x 4 posts fastened under the ridge have proven to prevent the collapse of many tunnels and greenhouses.

To provide additional support in double poly-covered greenhouses, two-by-fours can be placed under weight-bearing bow and purlin connections (Photo 4). However, this only provides additional support to the greenhouse infrastructure and snow removal may still be required.

Source: W. Garrett Owen, Michigan State University Extension — Ensure your greenhouses withstand the snow load (15 December 2017) (greenhouse page; Wayback tonight).

If none of the above is able to keep up with snow accumulation, a difficult managerial decision needs to be made. Slitting the plastic from the inside to allow accumulated snow to fall through to the ground will ruin the plastic but save the metal ribs. While not inexpensive, plastic is considerably cheaper to replace than metal ribs.

Source: David Trinklein, University of Missouri IPM — Snow Removal from High Tunnels (16 February 2021). Last resort. Replacement film stays on 6-mil plastic replacement. If NRCS money built the house, Pennsylvania still puts the 4-year repair on the producer — see below.

Gothic sheds; it does not skip the rake

Peaked vs round is a snow-shed story, not a PSF stamp. Profile notes live on the gothic page; this page only copies the snow sentences.

The disadvantage of the Quonset-type high tunnel is its potential to collapse under heavy, wet snowfall. Gothic-style or peaked high tunnels have had no problems under the same snowfall events since the A-frame roof allows snow to fall off the roof and not accumulate over time.

Source: Penn State Extension — High Tunnel Production (updated March 13, 2023). Re-opened live tonight. Geometry: gothic vs Quonset.

A steeper roof pitch (6:12 or 26.6°) can promote snow shedding. Even one degree less can make a difference. The gothic shape is designed to shed snow.

Source: Chris Callahan, UVM Extension Ag Engineering — A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather (13 August 2024). Rimol vendor copy on that same page: Tunnels with steeper roof pitch will hold up better against heavy snow; look for a 6/12 roof pitch for optimal snow shed. Even one degree less can make a difference. The gothic shape is designed to shed snow. SKU race: Nor'Easter vs Bootstrap 30′ snow.

Shape of tunnel – gothic style high tunnels have a peaked roof and tend to shed snow and ice more easily than the more rounded Quonset style structures

Source: Bronwyn Aly, Illinois Extension — Be diligent in snow and ice removal on high tunnels (23 January 2025). Tightness of plastic – stretching plastic tightly across the structure reduces sagging between bows, helping to prevent precipitation accumulation and improve shedding Enclosure of tunnel – closing up end walls and side curtains will trap more heat and help reduce accumulation On-site Management – the most important factor attributed to a high tunnel’s success during a snow or ice event is making sure someone is on-site to monitor the snow load and actively working to keep accumulation to a minimum Curtain hardware: high-tunnel roll-up sides.

As a rule, Gothic arch styles are able to cope with heavy snowfall better than Quonset styles. First, the somewhat pointed ridge of the Gothic arch design helps to facilitate natural shedding of snow. Second, the weakest point of a Quonset unit is ridge, which is nearly horizontal.

Source: David Trinklein, University of Missouri IPM — Snow Removal from High Tunnels (16 February 2021).

Tunnels located in northern states should have a gothic shape to shed snow.

Source: John W. Bartok, Jr., University of Connecticut — Engineering High Tunnels for Better Performance.

Our essential gothic high tunnel kit features the snow shedding gothic arch design that is ideal for Northern climates and areas with winter weather. The steeper roof pitch helps snow slide off instead of accumulating, while the higher endwalls create more headroom and usable interior space.

Vendor copy: Bootstrap Farmer — Essential Gothic High Tunnel Kit (vendor product page), fetched tonight. 14′ and 20′ widths on that page — not a 30′ SKU. Not a stamped load. Zone-band context: zone 4 vs zone 8.

When to pull or roll the plastic

Pennsylvania prints a manufacturer-designed-for-snow-load sentence, not “gothic required.” UConn still remembers the original winter: plastic off.

To protect from snow loads that may damage the structure, tunnel covers should be removed or rolled up at the end of the growing season unless the structure is designed by the manufacturer to withstand expected snow loads.

Source: USDA NRCS Pennsylvania — Seasonal High Tunnel System for Crops, re-opened live tonight. Ranking notes: EQIP high tunnel Pennsylvania.

Under extreme snow loads, wind condition, or intense duration of sunlight the plastic cover of the high tunnel can be removed or replaced by shade cloth. Consult the manufacturer’s specifications and climate condition management in your area.

Source: USDA NRCS High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ (Updated November 2024; Oregon-branded). Shade instead of film is a manufacturer-and-climate consult, not a payment.

The original use of the high tunnel was for season extension, usually one month in the spring and one month in the fall. The plastic was removed before winter set in. Growers seeing the results that are produced and the increasing demand for the produce grown are now using tunnels for year round production. This presents the problem of keeping the tunnel from collapsing or tipping over from heavy snow and wind conditions.

Source: John W. Bartok, Jr., University of Connecticut — Engineering High Tunnels for Better Performance. If the plastic will be removed before winter a 4 mil greenhouse grade should be adequate in most locations. If it will be left on all winter then it is best to utilize the stronger 6-mil greenhouse grade. PA NRCS and CPS 325 already name a minimum 6-mil greenhouse-grade UV cover when polyethylene is used — that is a cover-grade sentence, not a winter-on/off payment. Film rolls: 6-mil plastic replacement.

A 3" wet snow or 12" dry snow adds about 5 pounds/sq ft (psf) to the roof.

Source: John W. Bartok, Jr., University of Connecticut — Engineering High Tunnels for Better Performance, fetched live tonight. Quoted as printed. This page does not invent a second PSF, convert that sentence into a collapse table, or apply it to a named kit SKU.

Tight film, heat, and inflated double poly

Patch and lock the cover before the storm. Heat and a second inflated layer are snow-shed tools on the pages that already own heaters and blowers.

Check plastic before anticipated storms. Patch holes, secure wiggle wire, tighten loose areas to reduce flapping .

Source: Chris Callahan, UVM Extension Ag Engineering — A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather (13 August 2024). Tape: plastic repair tape. Channel: wiggle wire.

Heat the house to melt snow as it falls. Heating the house, even minimally, can prevent accumulation of snow and minimize snow clearing needed.

Source: Chris Callahan, UVM Extension Ag Engineering — A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather (13 August 2024). Heater hardware, frost cloth, and CO alarms stay on how to heat a high tunnel.

Double layer, inflated plastic helps shed snow.

Source: Chris Callahan, UVM Extension Ag Engineering — A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather (13 August 2024). Grower on that page: We also like a double layer, inflated tunnel because it helps A LOT with shedding snow and increasingly, ice. UConn: For heated tunnels, a double layer with air inflation will reduce heating costs by about 35% and allow snow to slide off easier. Blowers: double-poly inflation.

The greatest snow removal challenge is with double poly-covered greenhouses. Although an advantage of double poly is to reduce heat loss during the growing season, it delays heat transfer and the rate in which snow melts during heavy snowfall events. Greenhouse operators can reduce the air pressure between the two layers by manipulating the blower fan speed, thus allowing for the greenhouse to become deflated to a single layer. However, operators should be cautious of this method because on windy days, when the layers are deflated, rippling of the poly can place stress on the point of attachment, i.e., wiggle wire and tracks.

Source: W. Garrett Owen, Michigan State University Extension — Ensure your greenhouses withstand the snow load (15 December 2017) (greenhouse page; Wayback tonight). Do not treat a drop in inflation pressure as a high-tunnel Practice 325 spec.

Leave room for snow clearing between and around tunnels. Consider both the room needed for snow clearing equipment and also where the snow will go.

Source: Chris Callahan, UVM Extension Ag Engineering — A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather (13 August 2024). Rimol vendor copy on that page: If you have multiple tunnels, space them out as much as possible (ideally 12’ or more apart if snow removal is needed) so there is room for snow to slide off and build up. Ask the manufacturer: As extreme weather increases, so do engineering standards. Ask your tunnel manufacturer for engineering data around snow/wind loads.

Sourced Amazon snow-prep parts

Titles and featured one-time prices were copied from live amazon.com product pages 19 October 2026, about 03:30 UTC. Kit frames stay on manufacturer product pages. Film, wiggle wire, and repair tape are not re-priced here — use the specialty pages. Skipped tonight: B00680IXB4 / B018ZTZQZ6 Garant telescopic roof rake (no featured priceAmount); B0H299RT52 5–24 ft roof rake (unavailable / variant prices); B0GV7VH31F (HTTP 404); B00ATZV9VU / B00ATZVAKK Black+Decker 24-inch brooms (unavailable); B07K4WYJ96 (HTTP 404); B000COBXR8 Keeper 05515 (no featured); B000ASB72C Quickie Bulldozer (unavailable); B00DSSKJE8 Libman 823 (no featured); B0FBHB4S7Z 3-ft 2×4 (unavailable); 8-ft 2×4 ASINs B0FBHH3LJG / B0FBJ62DLM / B017085FW2 / B01MDOK1RX / B0F1NKBVXN (unavailable) and B00U8042BA (no featured). B0G8DRNDGG matched B0G8B6MQKT at $176.36 and was left off as a duplicate scraper.

EQIP pays for the structure, not the rake

Roof rakes, brooms, 2×4s, jack posts, ratchet straps, and replacement film after a storm sit outside the High Tunnel System Initiative payment unless your county office writes them in. Confirm with your NRCS district conservationist. Tunnel Spec does not invent a dollar.

Under the High Tunnel System Initiative, financial assistance is provided only for the structure itself. Electricity, venting systems, lighting, etc. can be installed providing the additions meets manufacturer’s designs and specifications. However, the grower is responsible for those costs.

Source: USDA NRCS High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ (Updated November 2024; Oregon-branded).

Producers can install heating, ventilation, or electrical systems at their own expense.

Source: USDA NRCS Pennsylvania — Seasonal High Tunnel System for Crops. One state office page, not a national snow-rake payment.

If NRCS Financial Assistance is used to construct a high tunnel system, it is the producer’s responsibility to manage the high tunnel system so that it is maintained for the 4-year lifespan of the practice. In the event that the structure is damaged, it is the producer’s responsibility to repair or replace the structure at their own cost for the duration of the 4-year lifespan.

Source: USDA NRCS Pennsylvania — Seasonal High Tunnel System for Crops. Producer repair for the 4-year lifespan — not an EQIP collapse payout.

The practice does not include greenhouses or low tunnel systems.

Source: NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 325 High Tunnel System. MSU’s snow-load page is a greenhouse article. More exclusions: what EQIP will not pay for.

Rules vary; call your county NRCS office.

FAQ

How do I take snow off a high tunnel without tearing the plastic?

UVM: clear snow evenly from both sides, a little at a time, so one side is not heavier than the other (eccentric loading). Grower Ed Person / Ledgewood, on that same page: pull a little from the middle of one side, then the other. Illinois: broom from the outside, or a soft or padded broom head on an extendable pole pushing up from inside without puncturing; take shade cloth off first. Missouri: a rope walked over the ridge; a long-handled scraper with plastic-safe material; or a wooden pole or 3-inch PVC with carpet poking from inside so the film flexes and snow slides. MSU’s greenhouse page (not a high-tunnel page): snow rakes can pierce poly and must not pile snow into the sidewall. UMN farm-building page: rakes from the ground, and do not scrape ice off a roof — that page is agricultural buildings, not hoop film.

Do I need snow braces or 2×4 posts under the hoops?

UVM: consider temporary 2×4 posts under hoops, especially Quonset or weaker hoops. Missouri: temporary purlin posts from the ground to the apex of every second or third rib; 2×4s pieced together; sit them on a wide footprint such as a concrete block so they do not punch into the soil. UConn Bartok: if the tunnel stays covered in snow country, 2×4 wood posts under the ridge about every third or fourth hoop. MSU greenhouse page: two-by-fours under bow and purlin connections still leave snow removal required. Amazon jack posts fetched tonight top out around 8′4″ — that is a crawl-space post, not a 12–15 ft gothic ridge. This page does not invent a snow-inch rule for when to brace.

Should I take the plastic off a high tunnel for winter?

Pennsylvania NRCS, live tonight: tunnel covers should be removed or rolled up at the end of the growing season unless the structure is designed by the manufacturer to withstand expected snow loads. Unexpected heavy snows may still cause damage. The High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ: under extreme snow loads, wind, or intense sunlight the plastic cover can be removed or replaced by shade cloth — consult the manufacturer and your climate. UConn Bartok: the original high-tunnel use was to remove the plastic before winter; if it stays on, he prefers 6-mil greenhouse grade. That is not a gothic requirement and not a national EQIP rule. Ask the manufacturer and the county.

Does a gothic roof mean I can leave snow on it?

No land-grant page opened tonight says gothic lets you skip snow removal. Penn State: Quonset-type houses can collapse under heavy wet snowfall; gothic or peaked houses shed because the A-frame lets snow fall off. Illinois and Missouri say gothic sheds more easily than Quonset. UVM: gothic is designed to shed snow; a 6:12 or 26.6° pitch can promote shedding. UConn: northern tunnels should be gothic. Bootstrap Essential Gothic (vendor, fetched tonight): “snow shedding gothic arch… ideal for Northern climates.” Rimol copy on the UVM page is vendor copy. Geometry notes stay on gothic vs Quonset; SKU snow language stays on Nor'Easter vs Bootstrap 30′. Illinois: on-site management is the most important factor. PA NRCS still says remove or roll unless the manufacturer designed the structure for snow load.

Should I heat the tunnel so snow slides off?

UVM: heat the house, even minimally, to melt snow as it falls. Illinois: forced-air heaters inside the tunnel are one removal method. UConn: for heated tunnels, a double layer with air inflation lets snow slide off easier (and he prints a 35% heating-cost sentence for that greenhouse job). MSU greenhouse page: double poly delays heat transfer and snow melt; some operators drop inflation to a single layer, with a wind/wiggle-wire caveat. Heater hardware stays on how to heat a high tunnel. Inflation blowers stay on double-poly inflation. This page does not invent a BTU or a snow-inch heat setpoint.

Does EQIP pay for snow rakes, jack posts, or film after a collapse?

Tunnel Spec does not invent eligibility or dollars. The High Tunnel System Initiative FAQ says financial assistance is provided only for the structure itself; the grower is responsible for electricity, venting, lighting, and similar additions. The Pennsylvania seasonal high tunnel page says producers can install heating, ventilation, or electrical systems at their own expense, and that if NRCS financial assistance built the tunnel it is the producer’s responsibility to repair or replace damage at their own cost for the 4-year lifespan. Roof rakes, brooms, 2×4s, jack posts, ratchet straps, and replacement film sit with those grower costs unless your county office writes them in. Confirm with your NRCS district conservationist. See what EQIP will not pay for.

Rules vary; call your county NRCS office. Tunnel Spec does not determine eligibility, payment rates, or inspection outcomes. Confirm snow-prep add-ons and cover management with your NRCS district conservationist. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.