hmmmm... punch a hole near the free end, tie a rope onto it and then to a tree or whatever to stop it from beating on the house ?

hmmmm... wrap the free end with a towel and tie it tight so it won't beat up the house too bad ?

hmmmm... have another hot buttered and forget it ? Downspouts are as cheap as Turkey Turd Beer and a few scrapes can be easily touched up. Besides, wading through the crusty snow could catch you a cold or even sprain a ligament or worse. And what if noone notices you're laying in the snow, unable to claw your way back ? No sense in becoming a statistic. Caution is the better part of valour, I always say.