Ice dam risk in Orem, UT
How often ice dams form in Orem
9.3 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Orem, conditions for an ice dam come on about 9.3 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and December.
Orem averages 45 inches of snow a year and about 41 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 Orem
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 7.3 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 9.3 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 11.9 | Moderate |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 2.1 days a winter here. It does not move the risk band, but it shortens every dam.
What to do about ice dams in Orem
- 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.
Which to spend on first: air sealing or heat cable.
Orem winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.5 | 16.6 | 4.2 |
| February | 8.7 | 7.4 | 1.4 |
| March | 4.0 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| April | 3.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| May | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 4.6 | 3.0 | 0.4 |
| December | 11.2 | 12.1 | 3.1 |
Orem next to nearby towns
Orem ranks 46 of 67 Utah cities here for ice-dam days, behind Ogden at 37.2 days.
- Vineyard, UT 3 mi, 8.2 days
- Lindon, UT 3 mi, 8.2 days
- Provo, UT 5 mi, 9.3 days
- Pleasant Grove, UT 6 mi, 8.2 days
- American Fork, UT 7 mi, 8.2 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Provo Byu, 4.4 miles from Orem. 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.