Ice dam risk in Cleveland, OH
How often ice dams form in Cleveland
13.8 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Cleveland, conditions for an ice dam come on about 13.8 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Cleveland averages 64 inches of snow a year and about 52 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 Cleveland
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 7.3 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 13.8 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 21.9 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 6.5 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 21.9 days.
Preventing ice dams on a Cleveland roof
- 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.
Cleveland winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18.4 | 17.4 | 5.5 |
| February | 15.1 | 13.5 | 4.1 |
| March | 10.8 | 7.2 | 1.4 |
| April | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 4.5 | 2.6 | 0.3 |
| December | 12.2 | 10.1 | 2.4 |
Cleveland next to nearby towns
Cleveland ranks 32 of 176 Ohio cities here for ice-dam days, behind Euclid at 24.8 days.
- Brooklyn, OH 5 mi, 13.8 days
- Garfield Heights, OH 6 mi, 13.8 days
- Lakewood, OH 6 mi, 13.8 days
- East Cleveland, OH 6 mi, 13.8 days
- Cleveland Heights, OH 6 mi, 13.8 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Cleveland, 10.4 miles from Cleveland. 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.