Ice dam risk in Joplin, MO
Ice dams in Joplin, MO: how often
0.1 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Joplin sees 0.1 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Joplin averages 8 inches of snow a year and about 1 day 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 Joplin?
- 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.
Joplin winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| February | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| March | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 2.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
Joplin next to nearby towns
Joplin ranks 77 of 80 Missouri cities here for ice-dam days, behind Maryville at 9.3 days.
- Webb City, MO 5 mi, 0.1 days
- Carthage, MO 11 mi, 0.1 days
- Neosho, MO 17 mi, 0.1 days
- Miami, OK 24 mi, 1.8 days
- Pittsburg, KS 26 mi, 0.7 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Neosho, 16.5 miles from Joplin. 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.