Ice dam risk in Newark, OH
How often ice dams form in Newark
6.8 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Newark, conditions for an ice dam come on about 6.8 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Newark averages 15 inches of snow a year and about 24 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 Newark
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 3.9 | Low |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 6.8 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 10.5 | Moderate |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 2.9 days a winter here. It drops the risk from moderate to low. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 10.5 days.
What to do about ice dams in Newark
- 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.
Which to spend on first: air sealing or heat cable.
Newark winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.2 | 9.6 | 3.0 |
| February | 3.9 | 8.1 | 2.4 |
| March | 2.2 | 2.3 | 0.4 |
| April | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| December | 1.6 | 3.6 | 0.9 |
Newark next to nearby towns
Newark ranks 122 of 176 Ohio cities here for ice-dam days, behind Euclid at 24.8 days.
- Heath, OH 4 mi, 6.8 days
- Pataskala, OH 16 mi, 6.7 days
- New Albany, OH 19 mi, 6.7 days
- Reynoldsburg, OH 21 mi, 6.7 days
- Mount Vernon, OH 22 mi, 12.6 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Newark Wtr Wks, 1.3 miles from Newark. 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.