Ice dam risk in Happy Valley, OR
Ice dams in Happy Valley, OR: how often
0.2 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Happy Valley sees 0.2 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Happy Valley averages 3 inches of snow a year and about 2 days with snow on the ground. Too little lies on the roof for long. The conditions that make a dam need all three at once: snow, cold at the eave and heat above it.
Do you need to do anything in Happy Valley?
- Nothing for ice dams. If you are buying here and an inspector mentions water at the eaves, ask what they saw: it is far more likely a gutter, flashing or drip-edge problem than ice.
Snowy places are not always the worst: why snowfall misleads.
Happy Valley winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.1 |
| February | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| March | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
Happy Valley next to nearby towns
Happy Valley ranks 13 of 57 Oregon cities here for ice-dam days, behind Klamath Falls at 9.8 days.
- Gladstone, OR 5 mi, 0.1 days
- Milwaukie, OR 5 mi, 0.1 days
- Gresham, OR 6 mi, 0.2 days
- Oregon City, OR 8 mi, 0.1 days
- West Linn, OR 8 mi, 0.1 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Portland Wfo, 8.9 miles from Happy Valley. 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.