Ice dam risk in Oxford, MS
Ice dams in Oxford, MS: how often
0.1 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Oxford sees 0.1 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Oxford averages 1 inch of snow a year and about 1 day 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 Oxford?
- 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.
Oxford winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| February | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| March | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
Oxford next to nearby towns
Oxford ranks 6 of 41 Mississippi cities here for ice-dam days, behind Southaven at 0.2 days.
- Grenada, MS 42 mi, 0.1 days
- Hernando, MS 43 mi, 0.2 days
- Olive Branch, MS 45 mi, 0.2 days
- Tupelo, MS 46 mi, 0.1 days
- Southaven, MS 48 mi, 0.2 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from University, 1.5 miles from Oxford. 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.