I just cleared all the snow off the roof of my new-to-me house. Now I have snow piled about 3ft up in spots against the side of my house. Do I need to clear all this piled snow away from my house to prevent future water intrusion?
I already cleared away from my dryer vent, crawlspace access, and patio door.
If it remains there and starts to melt quickly it could flow into the wall framing and even damage your drywall.
At least keep an eye on it and verify that solar gain melts it away from the wall an inch or two (it usually does). If it doesn't, clear a small channel so melt water goes to the ground and doesn't pool against the wall. Walls aren't boat hulls.
Be gentle with plastic siding. It gets brittle when cold and you can knock holes in it with rough treatment.
If there's adequate drainage for when it melts, no. I used to be sent around the house when the snow came to shovel the stuff up against the foundation, as it reduced drafts somewhat and it's warmer under the snow than it is above it when things get cold out, so it helped keep the basement warmer, slightly.
Yes, clear the snow away from your house. Because of the slope of the snow it's all going to run toward your house as it melts. That's not good for your foundation and can result in some (very) costly repairs. I usually go for a 3 ft buffer between my house and the snow. It's a lot of work, but better safe than sorry.
I would have a few concerns. The first is what are you going to do if you get another substantial storm? You are going to have to walk on the pile to clear the roof. Potentially you could compact the snow and damage the vinyl siding. You don't need to remove all of it, but I would try to reduce the height of the pile.
