Ice dam risk in Freehold, NJ
Will your roof get ice dams in Freehold, NJ?
5.4 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Freehold, conditions for an ice dam come on about 5.4 days in a normal winter, mostly in February and January.
Freehold averages 24 inches of snow a year and about 24 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 Freehold
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 4.0 | Low |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 5.4 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 7.2 | Moderate |
The attic matters less in Freehold than in colder towns: there are only 1.4 days a winter between a typical attic and a sealed one.
Preventing ice dams on a Freehold roof
- 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.
More on when a roof rake is worth it.
Freehold winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.8 | 7.6 | 2.0 |
| February | 8.0 | 8.8 | 2.2 |
| March | 4.6 | 4.0 | 0.6 |
| April | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 4.4 | 2.9 | 0.6 |
Freehold next to nearby towns
Freehold ranks 45 of 116 New Jersey cities here for ice-dam days, behind Hopatcong at 14.7 days.
- Tinton Falls, NJ 9 mi, 6.2 days
- Eatontown, NJ 12 mi, 3.2 days
- Red Bank, NJ 13 mi, 3.2 days
- South River, NJ 14 mi, 6.2 days
- Asbury Park, NJ 14 mi, 3.2 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Hightstown 2 W, 15.2 miles from Freehold. 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.