Ice dam risk in Hazel Park, MI
Ice dams in Hazel Park, MI: how often
15.5 dam days a winter
High risk. On an ordinary house in Hazel Park, conditions for an ice dam come on about 15.5 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Hazel Park averages 28 inches of snow a year and about 50 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 Hazel Park
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 7.5 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 15.5 | High |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 25.4 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 7.9 days a winter here. It drops the risk from high to moderate. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 25.4 days.
Preventing ice dams on a Hazel Park roof
- 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.
Hazel Park winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.4 | 17.9 | 6.4 |
| February | 7.4 | 16.4 | 5.4 |
| March | 3.5 | 6.6 | 1.5 |
| April | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| December | 6.9 | 7.6 | 2.1 |
Hazel Park next to nearby towns
Hazel Park ranks 64 of 90 Michigan cities here for ice-dam days, behind Sault Ste. Marie at 48.8 days.
- Ferndale, MI 2 mi, 15.9 days
- Madison Heights, MI 3 mi, 19.6 days
- Royal Oak, MI 4 mi, 19.6 days
- Warren, MI 4 mi, 15.5 days
- Oak Park, MI 4 mi, 18.1 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Grosse Pointe Farms, 11.3 miles from Hazel Park. 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.