Snow Load - Center Column??

[Jafo]

I have a 30' Pacific Yurt and I live in the snowbelt in upstate NY near Boonville NY, one of the snowiest places in the country. It is consistently within the top 10 in the country.

I have no center column in my yurt and have had many feet of snow on it. Not really necessary, but if you are worried just buy some 4X4's and prop them up in the winter when you are not at the yurt (assuming you are not living full time there). If however you are going to live in it year round, then don't even worry about it. The heat source in your yurt will keep the snow off the roof.

Here are some before (when I arrived) and afters (when I lit the wood stove) from a couple years ago when I snowshoed into my camp to stay for a weekend.





I can't speak for the water catchment system, but it makes sense that it would not work well in snowy environment because the snow could rip the thing off when it slides off the roof.