Ice dam risk in Battle Creek, MI
Ice dams in Battle Creek, MI: how often
19.4 dam days a winter
High risk. On an ordinary house in Battle Creek, conditions for an ice dam come on about 19.4 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Battle Creek averages 65 inches of snow a year and about 62 days with snow on the ground. Snow that lies that long is what turns a little attic heat into a ridge of ice at the eave. The conditions that make a dam need all three at once: snow, cold at the eave and heat above it.
What your attic does to that number in Battle Creek
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 10.0 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 19.4 | High |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 31.0 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 9.3 days a winter here. It drops the risk from high to moderate. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 31.0 days.
What to do about ice dams in Battle Creek
- Air-seal the attic floor: the gaps around the hatch, light fixtures, plumbing stacks and the top plates of interior walls. This is the fix that removes the cause, and it usually costs less than a season of contractor ice removal.
- Rake the bottom three or four feet of roof after any storm that leaves more than about six inches, from the ground with a roof rake.
- At the next reroof, ask for ice-and-water membrane under the shingles from the eave to at least 24 inches inside the wall line. It does not stop a dam; it stops the leak when one forms.
Which to spend on first: air sealing or heat cable.
Battle Creek winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18.1 | 21.3 | 7.7 |
| February | 15.6 | 17.5 | 5.8 |
| March | 6.0 | 6.9 | 1.5 |
| April | 2.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 5.9 | 3.0 | 0.5 |
| December | 16.4 | 13.0 | 3.9 |
Battle Creek next to nearby towns
Battle Creek ranks 40 of 90 Michigan cities here for ice-dam days, behind Sault Ste. Marie at 48.8 days.
- Kalamazoo, MI 18 mi, 19.4 days
- Portage, MI 20 mi, 18.7 days
- Coldwater, MI 27 mi, 17.3 days
- Sturgis, MI 36 mi, 18.7 days
- Jackson, MI 42 mi, 18.6 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Battle Creek 5NW, 5.1 miles from Battle Creek. 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.