Ice dam risk in Middletown, NY
How often ice dams form in Middletown
26.8 dam days a winter
High risk. On an ordinary house in Middletown, conditions for an ice dam come on about 26.8 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Middletown averages 58 inches of snow a year and about 84 days with snow on the ground. Snow that lies that long is what turns a little attic heat into a ridge of ice at the eave. 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 Middletown
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 14.5 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 26.8 | High |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 42.1 | Severe |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 12.3 days a winter here. It drops the risk from high to moderate. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 42.1 days.
What to do about ice dams in Middletown
- 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.
Middletown winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.5 | 24.9 | 9.9 |
| February | 10.8 | 21.8 | 7.5 |
| March | 12.9 | 15.7 | 3.3 |
| April | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.3 |
| October | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| November | 2.0 | 2.9 | 0.6 |
| December | 13.0 | 16.2 | 5.2 |
Middletown next to nearby towns
Middletown ranks 9 of 90 New York cities here for ice-dam days, behind Utica at 46.1 days.
- Kiryas Joel, NY 15 mi, 14.8 days
- Woodbury, NY 19 mi, 14.8 days
- Newburgh, NY 21 mi, 17.1 days
- Beacon, NY 24 mi, 14.8 days
- Ringwood, NJ 25 mi, 14.7 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Rock Hill 3 SW, 14.1 miles from Middletown. 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.