Ice dam risk in Gallup, NM
Ice dams in Gallup, NM: how often
6.1 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Gallup, conditions for an ice dam come on about 6.1 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and December.
Gallup averages 21 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 Gallup
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 5.3 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 6.1 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 7.0 | Moderate |
The attic matters less in Gallup than in colder towns: there are only 0.8 days a winter between a typical attic and a sealed one.
Preventing ice dams on a Gallup 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.
Gallup winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.5 | 9.0 | 2.4 |
| February | 5.7 | 5.2 | 1.3 |
| March | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| April | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| May | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| December | 5.2 | 6.8 | 1.8 |
Gallup next to nearby towns
Gallup ranks 1 of 19 New Mexico cities here for ice-dam days, the worst in the state.
- Farmington, NM 91 mi, 1.6 days
- Show Low, AZ 113 mi, 2.4 days
- Rio Rancho, NM 116 mi, 0.7 days
- Los Lunas, NM 121 mi, 0.3 days
- Albuquerque, NM 122 mi, 0.6 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Gallup Sand & Gravel, 2.5 miles from Gallup. 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.