How to Melt Snow Fast on the Roof

Step outside and find a spot on the ground that gives you a good view of the roof above. Throw several calcium chloride tablets up on the roof. Try to throw the tablets as far up on the roof as you can. The tablets will react with the snow and begin melting it. The tablets will settle on the roof, and the runoff will prevent ice dams from forming so that the snow will slide off the rood easier as it melts.

Attach a garden hose to an inside sink faucet. Adjust the water temperature so that the water is very warm. Spray the snow and ice on the roof with the warm water. If you have an upstairs window, open the window and spray the roof from that location. Avoid spraying the roof directly above you, if you are on the ground, as this could result in large amounts of snow and water falling on you.

Climb up on a ladder. Pull as much of the snow and ice off of the roof as you can with a roof rake. This will help melt any further accumulation because the warmer temperature of the roof will not be buffered by additional layers of snow. Avoid pulling the snow straight down and on top of you; angle the rake and pull the snow off to the side of where you are located.