Ice dam risk in Medford, OR
Will your roof get ice dams in Medford, OR?
0.1 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Medford sees 0.1 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Medford averages 3 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 Medford?
- 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.
Medford winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| February | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
Medford next to nearby towns
Medford ranks 26 of 57 Oregon cities here for ice-dam days, behind Klamath Falls at 9.8 days.
- Central Point, OR 4 mi, 0.1 days
- Ashland, OR 13 mi, 0.0 days
- Grants Pass, OR 25 mi, 0.0 days
- Klamath Falls, OR 55 mi, 9.8 days
- Roseburg, OR 66 mi, 0.0 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Medford International Airport, 3.0 miles from Medford. 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.