Ice dam risk in Norman, OK
How often ice dams form in Norman
0.6 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Norman sees 0.6 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Norman averages 4 inches of snow a year and about 3 days 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 Norman?
- 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.
Norman winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| February | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| March | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| December | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
Norman next to nearby towns
Norman ranks 31 of 45 Oklahoma cities here for ice-dam days, behind Woodward at 2.0 days.
- Moore, OK 9 mi, 0.8 days
- Newcastle, OK 14 mi, 0.8 days
- Midwest City, OK 15 mi, 0.8 days
- Del City, OK 15 mi, 0.8 days
- Choctaw, OK 17 mi, 0.8 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Norman 3SSE, 6.7 miles from Norman. 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.