Ice dam risk in Clarksburg, WV
Ice dams in Clarksburg, WV: how often
6.3 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Clarksburg, conditions for an ice dam come on about 6.3 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Clarksburg averages 24 inches of snow a year and about 26 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 Clarksburg
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 4.1 | Low |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 6.3 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 9.0 | Moderate |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 2.2 days a winter here. It drops the risk from moderate to low.
What to do about ice dams in Clarksburg
- 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.
Which to spend on first: air sealing or heat cable.
Clarksburg winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.9 | 9.6 | 2.7 |
| February | 7.8 | 7.2 | 1.8 |
| March | 3.5 | 2.9 | 0.5 |
| April | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| December | 3.8 | 5.1 | 1.2 |
Clarksburg next to nearby towns
Clarksburg ranks 4 of 13 West Virginia cities here for ice-dam days, behind Weirton at 10.4 days.
- Fairmont, WV 18 mi, 8.6 days
- Morgantown, WV 34 mi, 6.0 days
- Wheeling, WV 58 mi, 4.4 days
- Marietta, OH 59 mi, 3.7 days
- Vienna, WV 63 mi, 3.5 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Clarksburg 1, 0.5 miles from Clarksburg. 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.