After an incredibly dry summer in 2021, Manitoba has received more than its fair share of snow throughout the winter months thus far. 

By late February, the City of Winnipeg had already experienced one of the snowiest on record. 

But should the buildup be cause for concern to homeowners? 

“It’s really hard to know what all the snow means,” says Ron Meisner, owner of Foundation Sealant Systems. 

Despite some significant rainfall in autumn, the deficit precipitation likely has the soil around most homes’ foundations rather dry. “Any precipitation we got would be more surface — probably down around 12 inches,” says Meisner. “Below that, soil is considerably dry.” 

In the city, most of the melting snow will end up in rivers and streams, according to Meisner, who cautions it is the type of melt that is of most concern. 

“If it’s a quick melt, if we get a run of 7 to 10 days above normal and you see water pooling around your foundation, there’s reason for concern — especially around a window,” he says. 

“If you’ve got a positive grade away from the house, that’s good,” says Meisner. “If you’ve got a negative grade, I’d watch that and move some snow away from the house.” 

“Being proactive is better than doing nothing,” he says. “If you’ve had problems in the past — and you’ve not attended to them — you’ll want to watch those areas very closely.”