Metrodome Roof Collapses Due to Blizzard

Minnesota has been experiencing blizzard conditions. They have gotten 15 to 20 inches of snow since Friday. The roof of the Metrodome is designed to withstand large snowfalls, but this amount in this short span of time proved too much.

by Becky Kellogg - The Weather Channel

The Metrodome, home to the Minneapolis Vikings, is known for being able to handle massive amounts of snow. However, this weekend's blizzard in the Midwest may actually be too much even for the Metrodome! According to KARE-TV and ESPN, the roof of the Metrodome has collapsed due to heavy snow and winds.

The collapsed reportedly happened around 5 a.m. Sunday morning. The teflon roof is an inflatable roof which covers the Mall of America field during inclement weather.

According to Roy Terwilliger, chair of the Metropolitan Facilities Commission, there are an unknown number of tears in the roof. One of those tears is in the middle of the roof and allowed some snow and ice to spill onto the playing field.

A KARE-TV photographer, reporting from the scene, says the dome caved in so that it was not visible from ground level. Usually, you can see the dome of the roof from the outside, as seen in the photo below.

The Metrodome was scheduled to be the site of a Monday night NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. However, the NFL says the Metrodome will not be able to host the game. They're exploring other options for the Vikings-Giants game.

As of Sunday morning, there are no reports of injuries. The Weather Channel and weather.com will have frequent updates on this story as it develops.