Snow load would be next to nothing. It falls pretty irregularly, with no snow buildup down in the valley (we're in Southern Or valley), and as far as wind, it rarely gets very windy. I wish I could remember wind mph, but I know we don't have a lot of wind in our part of the valley. The coldest temperatures we have to worry about I believe are the 20's, possibly the teens at night during a real cold winter. The cover doesn't have to have shingles, I have seen a screened in patio at a restaurant with that fiber glass semi-transparent top on it, and actually found it to be a lot better looking from underneath than I thought it would be. Hope that helps.

Lucy, thanks for writing me off-group and giving me the heads up! (hope my reply was helpful) goodness, all these replies. Don't know why I wasn't getting them in my inbox. hm. Maybe my email program sees it as spam or something.... *off to check the manual* Thanks all for the kind words! I've had to stop awhile cuz the cord wore the skin off the *back* of my fingers. OWWWW! And bandaids seem to get stuck, so I'm just going to wait a week, then finish the next chair. My fingertips are just fine though (probably because I check my blood sugar about 10 times a day--super-thick calluses). Good thing I was using smooth nylon cord instead of that prickly hemp. shudder So I've decided to make cushions for the seat part too (as I get older, my butt gets sore faster! :-D). Out of the denim I'd tried using originally. Already has ties on it. Just needs backing and stuffing. I've been hanging out at the nearest Goodwill to get pillows I can use as stuffing. And Rhonda, yes, free is GREAT!!! penny saved and all that...

Parma, I love your WT, so pretty! Kismet, do you sew? Or have you found a good site for ready mades? Or do you want to hire custom mades? I think I would cover the windows to either side of the slider with the same drapes IF those windows are quite close. But that might require a very special custom made rod and HUGE curtains. To get your drapes/curtains to clear your slider, you just have to mount the rod so it's several inches wider than your window, allowing room to pull the drapes clear back off the windows. Maybe there is room for drapes to gather up opened between your slider and the windows? Another choice is to use some type of blinds (Roman, Balloon, Austrian, etc) that pull down from the top. That could look very pretty. The windows could also be grouped all together with one valance, again if they're close. Hard to advise without seeing a picture. Can you post one?

I'd get all the snow and moisture off and leave it exposed as long as the days are clear. Then I'd cover it with an absorbent material (old sheets/towels) and then cover that layer with some heavy plastic sheeting or a tarp. If the base is made of the same material, try to keep it protected also. Remove the plastic every few days and dry or replace the absorbent layer. If you don't have a long, hard freeze you'll probably be OK. I would avoid the hair dryer since heating one area too long while the other may be frozen could cause more damage then just leaving it alone. If the weather stays nice for a few days, you could set up an electric fan so that the air blows across the table. Afterward, cover it again.