an economical three - component snow guard comprising a laminar strap , a snow - stop and a gusseted brace is reinforced and its rigidity and compressive strength greatly improved . at the same time , the resistance to damage due to re - freezing of melted snow , and internal weathering of the brace , is essentially eliminated . the disdavantages of a structurally similar prior art snow guard are unexpectedly avoided by providing particularly improved structural features . the novel snow guard , formed as a unitary structure of foldable sheet metal less than 2 mm thick , can withstand not only the forces exerted by an accumulated snow pack , but also the compressive force of a person &# 39 ; s weight exerted in either the down - roof or vertical directions .