Ice dam risk in Beatrice, NE
How often ice dams form in Beatrice
10.2 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Beatrice, conditions for an ice dam come on about 10.2 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Beatrice averages 19 inches of snow a year and about 33 days with snow on the ground. Most of it comes and goes within a few days. 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 Beatrice
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 6.0 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 10.2 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 15.5 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 4.2 days a winter here. It does not move the risk band, but it shortens every dam. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 15.5 days.
What to do about ice dams in Beatrice
- 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.
Which to spend on first: air sealing or heat cable.
Beatrice winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.4 | 12.7 | 4.4 |
| February | 4.9 | 8.9 | 2.7 |
| March | 2.2 | 3.0 | 0.6 |
| April | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| December | 3.0 | 6.6 | 2.1 |
Beatrice next to nearby towns
Beatrice ranks 14 of 16 Nebraska cities here for ice-dam days, behind South Sioux City at 19.2 days.
- Lincoln, NE 37 mi, 11.4 days
- Papillion, NE 70 mi, 14.4 days
- La Vista, NE 72 mi, 14.4 days
- Bellevue, NE 74 mi, 12.2 days
- Manhattan, KS 75 mi, 5.4 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Beatrice 1N, 1.8 miles from Beatrice. 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.