What lands on the glass when?
Open a month to see what to expect and what to do.
JanuaryLow sun, short days
- Output is at its lowest of the year; that is the sun angle, not dirt.
- Let snow slide off on its own. Never rake a rooftop array.
- Note January’s clear-day peaks in your app as a winter baseline.
FebruarySnow and quick melts
- Chinook days melt snow fast and leave grit lines on the lower edge.
- Watch for ice dams at the gutter below the bottom row.
MarchWet snow, wet roofs
- Heavy spring snow slides in slabs; keep paths clear below the eaves.
- No washes on wet or icy roofs. We reschedule, and so should you.
- Check the yard for anything birds start carrying under panels.
AprilPollen begins
- Tree pollen lays a yellow-green film; rain helps only if it is heavy.
- Book a spring visual inspection before the hail season.
- Look under the array edge for nesting material from the ground.
MayPollen and first hail
- Pollen peaks; a light shower can turn it to paste on the glass.
- Hail season opens. Keep the hail checklist handy.
- Cottonwoods along creeks start to drop seed late in the month.
JuneCottonwood and long days
- Cottonwood fluff and seeds catch along the bottom rows.
- Long days mean peak output, so any film costs the most now.
- Late June is our usual spring wash window.
JulyHeat, storms, hail
- Afternoon storms bring hail; check from the ground after each one.
- We wash at first light only, never on hot midday glass.
- Smoke from distant fires can dim output for days; that is not dirt.
AugustDust and smoke
- Dry weeks build road and field dust that brief showers will not lift.
- Compare clear days to June in your app for a slow slide.
SeptemberThe late-summer wash
- Clear off a summer of dust, droppings and ash while the sun is still strong.
- Our usual second wash window on the two-season plan.
- Note anything from hail season you have not had looked at.
OctoberLeaves and early snow
- Leaves and pine needles collect where panels meet the roof.
- A first snow can arrive any week; finish washes on dry, mild days.
NovemberSettling into winter
- Output falls with the sun angle; compare to last November, not to July.
- Make sure your monitoring app still reports after any Wi-Fi changes.
DecemberShortest days
- The year’s lowest output is normal; a dead row or zero day is not.
- Pull your yearly total for next year’s output check.
- Leave snow alone on the roof, and keep ladders in the garage.
When should I book a wash?
For most Front Range roofs, twice: late June after pollen and cottonwood, and September after the dry months. Winter washes matter least because days are short. If your app holds steady through summer, one wash a year or none may be enough, and we will tell you so.
Want the year handled?
Year-round care covers two washes, a spring inspection report and monitoring, from $389 a year.