Ice dam risk in Oxford, OH
Will your roof get ice dams in Oxford, OH?
6.4 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Oxford, conditions for an ice dam come on about 6.4 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Oxford averages 18 inches of snow a year and about 25 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 Oxford
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 4.1 | Low |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 6.4 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 9.3 | Moderate |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 2.3 days a winter here. It drops the risk from moderate to low.
What to do about ice dams in Oxford
- 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.
Oxford winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.1 | 9.2 | 2.6 |
| February | 5.0 | 7.9 | 2.1 |
| March | 2.1 | 1.7 | 0.3 |
| October | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 4.0 | 5.9 | 1.4 |
Oxford next to nearby towns
Oxford ranks 152 of 176 Ohio cities here for ice-dam days, behind Euclid at 24.8 days.
- Hamilton, OH 12 mi, 6.8 days
- Trenton, OH 15 mi, 6.8 days
- Fairfield, OH 16 mi, 6.8 days
- Harrison, OH 17 mi, 3.6 days
- Forest Park, OH 19 mi, 6.8 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Brookville, 15.5 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.