Solar in Winter: What to Expect and What to Do About Snow

Winter is the time of year when solar customers tend to wonder most about their system. Days are shorter, the sun is lower in the sky, and sometimes your panels are buried under six inches of snow.

Here's what's normal, what isn't, and what — if anything — you should do about it.

Winter Production Is Lower — And That's Expected

Solar panels produce less power in winter than in summer. This is simply physics:

• Shorter days → fewer hours of sunlight
• Lower sun angle → panels receive sunlight less directly

Typical variation: Winter production can be 40–60% lower than your peak summer months.

This Is Fully Accounted For in Your System's Design

When Venture Home sized your system, the production estimate was built on a full year of average sunlight data — including winter.

How it works:

• Your annual offset target factors in those low-production months
• Summer surplus builds credits that carry forward
• Credits cover higher winter grid usage
• System designed to work across all four seasons together

💡 The system is not designed to fully replace your grid usage every single month — it's designed to do so over the full year.

Higher Winter Bills Are Expected

If you're seeing higher utility bills in December and January, that's normal.

See [[solar-utility-bill|How Will Solar Change My Utility Bill?]] for a full explanation of why winter bills look different and what to expect over the course of a full year.

Snow on Your Panels

After a snowstorm, it's natural to look up at your roof and wonder whether you're losing production.

The answer: Yes, snow-covered panels produce little to nothing while covered, but in most cases the situation resolves itself faster than you might expect.

A Few Things Work in Your Favor

1. Panels Shed Snow Naturally

Solar panels are:

• Dark — absorb heat
• Smooth — slippery surface
• Slightly warm — from ambient operation
• Installed at an angle — helps shedding

In most cases, snow slides off on its own within a day or two of a storm — often faster than snow on the surrounding roof.

You don't need to do anything.

2. Even Partial Clearing Helps

As snow slides or melts from the lower edge of a panel, the exposed portion begins producing again.

You don't need 100% of the panel clear to start generating power.

3. The Math Usually Works Out

A day or two of reduced production from snow cover has minimal impact on your monthly or annual totals, especially since most heavy snowstorms in the Northeast are followed by:

• Clear, cold days
• Strong winter sun
• Clean panels

4. Cold, Bright Days Are Excellent for Production

Surprising fact: Cold weather actually helps solar panels produce more efficiently.

While shorter days reduce total production, cold, sunny winter days can produce more per hour than hot summer days.

Should I Remove Snow From My Panels?

Our General Recommendation: Leave It Alone

Let the snow clear on its own.

Why:

• Getting on your roof in winter is dangerous
• The production you'd recover rarely justifies the safety risk
• Nature handles it within a day or two in most cases

If You Choose to Clear Snow

Only if:

• You have an accessible single-story section
• System has been covered for several days with no sign of clearing
• You can do it safely from the ground

Tools and Technique

Use:

• ✓ Non-abrasive roof rake
• ✓ Soft foam or rubber blade
• ✓ Work from ground or safe standing position

Important Safety Rules

Never:

❌ Use a metal rake, shovel, or abrasive tool

• Scratches damage anti-reflective coating
• Permanently reduces production
• Can void panel warranty

❌ Get on the roof to clear panels

• Sloped, snow-covered roof = serious fall hazard
• Solar panel racking adds trip risk
• Not worth the injury risk

❌ Use hot water

• Thermal shock can crack glass
• Cold panels + hot water = damage

❌ Push snow up or across panels

• Work from bottom up
• Pull snow down and off
• Let gravity help

The Bottom Line on Snow Removal

If you can safely reach with a proper roof rake: Reasonable choice after major storm

If it requires climbing, creative ladders, or roof work: Leave it and let nature handle it

What About Ice?

Ice dams can form at the edge of roofs in winter, but solar panels don't typically make this worse.

If you have ice dam issues:

• Address with proper attic insulation and ventilation
• Consider roof heating cables for problem areas
• Consult a roofing professional

Solar panels themselves don't cause ice dams, and the warmth they generate can actually help in some cases.

Quick Winter Solar Reference

Related Articles

• [[production-low|My Production Seems Low — What's Going On?]] — Understanding seasonal variation
• [[solar-utility-bill|How Will Solar Change My Utility Bill?]] — Why winter bills are different
• [[monitoring-by-manufacturer|Monitoring Your Solar System by Manufacturer]] — Checking your winter production
• [[system-damage|What if My System Is Damaged?]] — If you suspect storm damage

Questions About Winter Solar?

Contact Customer Success:

• Phone: 800-203-4158
• Email: Via the Venture Home app
• Webchat: Available on our website during business hours

Remember: Winter production drops are normal, snow clears on its own, and cold sunny days are actually great for solar efficiency!