Ice dam risk in Albuquerque, NM
Ice dams in Albuquerque, NM: how often
0.6 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Albuquerque sees 0.6 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Albuquerque averages 8 inches of snow a year and about 3 days with snow on the ground. Too little lies on the roof for long. The conditions that make a dam need all three at once: snow, cold at the eave and heat above it.
Do you need to do anything in Albuquerque?
- Nothing for ice dams. If you are buying here and an inspector mentions water at the eaves, ask what they saw: it is far more likely a gutter, flashing or drip-edge problem than ice.
Snowy places are not always the worst: why snowfall misleads.
Albuquerque winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| February | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| March | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| December | 2.8 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
Albuquerque next to nearby towns
Albuquerque ranks 9 of 19 New Mexico cities here for ice-dam days, behind Gallup at 6.1 days.
- Rio Rancho, NM 13 mi, 0.7 days
- Los Lunas, NM 22 mi, 0.3 days
- Santa Fe, NM 54 mi, 2.2 days
- Española, NM 70 mi, 1.8 days
- Las Vegas, NM 88 mi, 2.8 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Albuquerque International Airport, 4.7 miles from Albuquerque. A dam day is a day with snow on the roof and freezing at the eave while heat or sun melts the snow above it. This describes a normal winter, not this one.