Property risk
Wind damage
Calgary's chinook winds regularly exceed 100 km/h, and the damage is usually to things nobody secured.
What happens
Chinook events produce sustained high winds with strong gusts, particularly in west and southwest Calgary and in the foothills communities.
Damage concentrates on roofing at edges and ridges, fencing, gates, shingles, siding, and anything left unsecured outdoors — furniture, trampolines, umbrellas, bins and construction materials.
Wind also drives water horizontally into building assemblies that shed vertical rain adequately, producing intrusion at windows and wall junctions that would not otherwise leak.
A single lifted shingle is minor until the next rain, at which point it is a roof leak.
Why vacancy makes this worse
Loose items become projectiles that damage the property and neighbouring property. Nobody secures a gate, retrieves a bin or notices lifted shingles on an empty house.
What a visit can observe
- Missing, lifted or displaced shingles
- Damaged or displaced fencing and gates
- Debris in the yard or against the building
- Displaced outdoor furniture and bins
- Damaged or torn screens
- Water staining at window heads and wall junctions after a wind event
- Downed branches
Reducing the risk
- Secure or store all outdoor items before an extended absence.
- Have trees assessed and deadwood removed before leaving.
- Confirm gates latch and fencing is sound.
- Book a check after significant wind events.
Related questions
Do chinooks cause problems for vacant properties?
Yes, and they are underrated as a risk precisely because they feel like relief.
A chinook can raise temperatures 20 to 30 °C within a day, then drop them back overnight. That cycling is harder on a building than steady cold. Snow melts and refreezes, building ice dams at roof edges. Meltwater runs toward foundations and refreezes in downspouts and window wells. Materials expand and contract repeatedly.
Chinooks also bring strong wind — sustained speeds regularly exceeding 100 km/h in west and southwest Calgary and in the foothills. That produces roofing damage, displaced outdoor items, and wind-driven water intrusion at windows and wall junctions.
The practical response is to check the property after chinook events rather than only on a fixed schedule: look at roof edges for ice dam formation, confirm downspout discharge is clear and running away from the foundation, check ceilings near exterior walls for the first signs of intrusion, and confirm nothing has been displaced by the wind.
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