Ice dam risk in Fremont, OH
How often ice dams form in Fremont
10.0 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Fremont, conditions for an ice dam come on about 10.0 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Fremont averages 26 inches of snow a year and about 34 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 Fremont
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 5.3 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 10.0 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 15.9 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 4.7 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 15.9 days.
What to do about ice dams in Fremont
- 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.
Fremont winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.4 | 12.7 | 4.3 |
| February | 6.9 | 9.8 | 3.0 |
| March | 3.7 | 4.0 | 0.8 |
| April | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| December | 5.3 | 6.7 | 1.7 |
Fremont next to nearby towns
Fremont ranks 98 of 176 Ohio cities here for ice-dam days, behind Euclid at 24.8 days.
- Tiffin, OH 17 mi, 13.5 days
- Fostoria, OH 20 mi, 13.5 days
- Sandusky, OH 22 mi, 12.6 days
- Oregon, OH 27 mi, 11.9 days
- Norwalk, OH 27 mi, 12.6 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Fremont, 1.4 miles from Fremont. 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.