Ice dam risk in Lincoln, NE
Ice dams in Lincoln, NE: how often
11.4 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Lincoln, conditions for an ice dam come on about 11.4 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Lincoln averages 26 inches of snow a year and about 38 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 Lincoln
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 6.6 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 11.4 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 17.3 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 4.7 days a winter here. It does not move the risk band, but it shortens every dam. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 17.3 days.
Preventing ice dams on a Lincoln 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.
Which to spend on first: air sealing or heat cable.
Lincoln winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.5 | 12.9 | 4.5 |
| February | 7.1 | 10.9 | 3.4 |
| March | 3.4 | 3.2 | 0.6 |
| April | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| May | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| December | 5.3 | 8.0 | 2.5 |
Lincoln next to nearby towns
Lincoln ranks 11 of 16 Nebraska cities here for ice-dam days, behind South Sioux City at 19.2 days.
- Beatrice, NE 37 mi, 10.2 days
- Papillion, NE 39 mi, 14.4 days
- La Vista, NE 41 mi, 14.4 days
- Fremont, NE 45 mi, 12.8 days
- Bellevue, NE 45 mi, 12.2 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Lincoln Airport, 5.4 miles from Lincoln. 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.