Ice dam risk in Burton, MI
Ice dams in Burton, MI: how often
21.4 dam days a winter
High risk. On an ordinary house in Burton, conditions for an ice dam come on about 21.4 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Burton averages 52 inches of snow a year and about 67 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 Burton
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 10.0 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 21.4 | High |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 35.6 | Severe |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 11.4 days a winter here. It drops the risk from high to moderate. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 35.6 days.
What to do about ice dams in Burton
- 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.
Burton winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.1 | 22.7 | 8.5 |
| February | 13.0 | 18.0 | 6.2 |
| March | 6.6 | 9.4 | 2.2 |
| April | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| October | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 3.3 | 2.5 | 0.4 |
| December | 11.4 | 12.9 | 3.9 |
Burton next to nearby towns
Burton ranks 24 of 90 Michigan cities here for ice-dam days, behind Sault Ste. Marie at 48.8 days.
- Flint, MI 4 mi, 19.5 days
- Fenton, MI 15 mi, 21.4 days
- Owosso, MI 28 mi, 22.5 days
- Auburn Hills, MI 29 mi, 19.6 days
- Pontiac, MI 30 mi, 19.6 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Flint Fcwos, 7.1 miles from Burton. 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.