Greetings, Everyone. This is Charles McShan, aka thechicagolandrealtor. Now you might be asking yourself what deadly dangers lurk over our heads in the Wintertime. If it has snowed heavily in your area lately and the temperature is slowly warming up, and you now hear the sound of dripping water. Please quickly look up. Do you now see the danger? What am I talking about? I am talking about Icicles. If they are there and they are dripping water, you could be in trouble. One or many could just be ready to crash down to the ground or crash down on you and yours if you are not careful. Today is December 10th, 2025. This was one of my first blog posts, written way back in 2018. Yesterday I nearly fell when I left through my front door. My steps and railings were icy. I looked up, and I saw huge Ice dams or icicles just ready to fall. As I went through my day, I saw homes and buildings where icicles were dripping with water and freezing up sidewalks. I then realized I had written a blog post on this subject years ago.
I revisited this blog post a few minutes ago and realized it is not good writing, so I’ll refresh it, and I will do the same with other earlier blog posts to bring them up to 2025 standards. I wrote this post because in 2018, while driving in downtown Chicago, I heard a thud. Looking out my rear-view mirror, I thought someone had rear-ended me, and the thud happened again. Looking around, I saw people running for cover. The thuds came from Icicles crashing down from the skyscraper’s roof and ledges. Falling icicles were happening all over the Chicago area back then, and I imagine they were happening yesterday, December 11th, 2025. Some may ask what creates these giant Icicles?
Article Guide
How Are Icicles Created?
Icicles are formed when the snow that accumulates on the roof begins to melt due to the rising heat within the structure. The snow turns to water, flows outward to the edges of the roof, and refreezes. The excess water flows over the edge, and that starts the dripping, and the Icicle increases in length and weight. Icicles are a thing of beauty to look at on a wintery day, but in an instant, they can bring about injury or death. Yes, as I was walking towards my garage, a massive piece of Ice broke off and crashed down to the ground where I had been seconds earlier. That was when I realized that those Ice formations were dangerous. The weight of Ice can bring down Power lines and cause blackouts in entire areas. These icicles also damage gutters and roofs.
How can you protect yourself from falling icicles?
Simply put, when the temperature is below freezing, and you see Ice on the ground, try to stay away from the edges of a home. If you are a homeowner and can safely tap the icicles to remove them from your gutters, please do so. Treat your sidewalks according to melting chemicals and be on guard. Do not let your children play beneath icicles. Regarding Downtown skyscrapers, the owners will hire Professionals to clear the Ice if they can. A detached Icicle falling from a 40-story building could be traveling at 80mph. That force hitting the concrete is compelling and loud. That same force hitting a human being could be deadly. People in Chicago and elsewhere have been injured, and some have died due to Ice strikes from above. Downtown high-rise owners place warning signs and tape off areas if warranted.
Conclusion!
Last year, the Chicagoland area experienced a mild winter and only recevied around 17.9 feet of snow.. As of December 9th, we have so far surpassed 17.9 inches areawide, and we have a long way to go. So, after a cold spell, pay attention to your surroundings. Please observe the warning signs indicating falling Ice. Icicles are a beautiful sight to see, but they are a deadly danger lurking over our heads, just waiting to fall. So be on your guard. This is the 2025 updated version of Icicles, “The deadly danger lurking above our heads.”
Thank you for reading this. Have you had any bad experiences with falling icicles? Do you have ways to prevent them from occurring? Feel free to leave your comments below. Thank you again for reading this blog post,
Charles McShan, Century 21 Universal, 7300 N. Western Ave Suite I Chicago, IL 60645
cmac2121@yahoo.com
312 9143678
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