Ice dam risk in Hazleton, PA
Ice dams in Hazleton, PA: how often
17.9 dam days a winter
High risk. On an ordinary house in Hazleton, conditions for an ice dam come on about 17.9 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Hazleton averages 48 inches of snow a year and about 59 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 Hazleton
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 9.5 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 17.9 | High |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 28.3 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 8.4 days a winter here. It drops the risk from high to moderate. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 28.3 days.
What to do about ice dams in Hazleton
- 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.
Hazleton winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.3 | 18.3 | 6.6 |
| February | 12.7 | 16.2 | 5.3 |
| March | 9.2 | 9.9 | 2.4 |
| April | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| October | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| November | 2.2 | 2.0 | 0.4 |
| December | 9.0 | 11.3 | 3.1 |
Hazleton next to nearby towns
Hazleton ranks 6 of 68 Pennsylvania cities here for ice-dam days, behind St. Marys at 26.9 days.
- Berwick, PA 16 mi, 16.8 days
- Nanticoke, PA 17 mi, 14.4 days
- Wilkes-Barre, PA 21 mi, 14.4 days
- Kingston, PA 22 mi, 14.4 days
- Pottsville, PA 22 mi, 17.9 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Mahanoy City 2 N, 12.0 miles from Hazleton. 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.
- The nearest weather station sits at a noticeably different elevation from Hazleton, so the snow figures may run high or low for the town itself.