Ice dam risk in Escanaba, MI
Will your roof get ice dams in Escanaba, MI?
34.4 dam days a winter
High risk. On an ordinary house in Escanaba, conditions for an ice dam come on about 34.4 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Escanaba averages 47 inches of snow a year and about 92 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 Escanaba
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 14.4 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 34.4 | High |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 59.4 | Severe |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 20.0 days a winter here. It drops the risk from high to moderate. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 59.4 days.
What to do about ice dams in Escanaba
- 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.
Escanaba winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13.7 | 25.6 | 11.2 |
| February | 10.2 | 25.7 | 10.6 |
| March | 6.1 | 17.6 | 5.2 |
| April | 4.4 | 3.8 | 0.6 |
| November | 2.3 | 2.9 | 0.6 |
| December | 10.2 | 16.7 | 6.2 |
Escanaba next to nearby towns
Escanaba ranks 5 of 90 Michigan cities here for ice-dam days, behind Sault Ste. Marie at 48.8 days.
- Marinette, WI 53 mi, 31.3 days
- Marquette, MI 58 mi, 43.6 days
- Suamico, WI 90 mi, 29.3 days
- Howard, WI 95 mi, 29.3 days
- Green Bay, WI 95 mi, 29.3 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Escanaba, 2.0 miles from Escanaba. 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.
- Snow-on-the-ground counts come from a second, nearby station, because the closest one does not record them.