Ice dam risk in Payson, AZ
Ice dams in Payson, AZ: how often
1.0 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Payson sees 1.0 day a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Payson averages 19 inches of snow a year and about 5 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.
What your attic does to that number in Payson
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 1.0 | Very unlikely |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 1.0 | Very unlikely |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 1.0 | Very unlikely |
The attic matters less in Payson than in colder towns: there are only 0.0 days a winter between a typical attic and a sealed one.
Do you need to do anything in Payson?
- 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.
Payson winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.7 | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| February | 4.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
| March | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| April | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 3.6 | 1.3 | 0.3 |
Payson next to nearby towns
Payson ranks 3 of 44 Arizona cities here for ice-dam days, behind Flagstaff at 16.2 days.
- Camp Verde, AZ 38 mi, 0.0 days
- Scottsdale, AZ 50 mi, 0.0 days
- Fountain Hills, AZ 50 mi, 0.0 days
- Cottonwood, AZ 52 mi, 0.0 days
- Paradise Valley, AZ 60 mi, 0.0 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Payson, 1.7 miles from Payson. 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.