Ice dam risk in Newport, RI
How often ice dams form in Newport
6.3 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Newport, conditions for an ice dam come on about 6.3 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Newport averages 26 inches of snow a year and about 30 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 Newport
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 4.5 | Low |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 6.3 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 8.6 | Moderate |
The attic matters less in Newport than in colder towns: there are only 1.8 days a winter between a typical attic and a sealed one.
What to do about ice dams in Newport
- 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.
More on when a roof rake is worth it.
Newport winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.5 | 10.0 | 2.5 |
| February | 9.1 | 9.4 | 2.2 |
| March | 4.8 | 4.9 | 0.7 |
| April | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 5.2 | 5.0 | 0.8 |
Newport next to nearby towns
Newport ranks 4 of 8 Rhode Island cities here for ice-dam days, behind Pawtucket at 12.4 days.
- Warwick, RI 16 mi, 6.0 days
- Fall River, MA 21 mi, 7.2 days
- Cranston, RI 22 mi, 6.0 days
- East Providence, RI 22 mi, 6.0 days
- New Bedford, MA 23 mi, 6.8 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Newport Rose, 2.3 miles from Newport. 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.
- Snow-on-the-ground counts come from a second, nearby station, because the closest one does not record them.