Ice dam risk in Pawtucket, RI
Ice dams in Pawtucket, RI: how often
12.4 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Pawtucket, conditions for an ice dam come on about 12.4 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Pawtucket averages 42 inches of snow a year and about 47 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 Pawtucket
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 8.5 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 12.4 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 17.2 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 3.8 days a winter here. It does not move the risk band, but it shortens every dam. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 17.2 days.
What to do about ice dams in Pawtucket
- 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.
Pawtucket winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.3 | 15.9 | 4.8 |
| February | 10.7 | 12.9 | 3.7 |
| March | 7.6 | 8.4 | 1.7 |
| April | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| December | 7.9 | 8.8 | 2.1 |
Pawtucket next to nearby towns
Pawtucket ranks 1 of 8 Rhode Island cities here for ice-dam days, the worst in the state.
- Central Falls, RI 1 mi, 12.4 days
- Providence, RI 4 mi, 6.0 days
- East Providence, RI 5 mi, 6.0 days
- Attleboro, MA 6 mi, 13.0 days
- North Attleborough Town, MA 7 mi, 12.4 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Woonsocket, 9.7 miles from Pawtucket. 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.