Ice dam risk in Prescott Valley, AZ
How often ice dams form in Prescott Valley
0.8 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Prescott Valley sees 0.8 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Prescott Valley averages 10 inches of snow a year and about 4 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.
Do you need to do anything in Prescott Valley?
- 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.
Prescott Valley winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| February | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| March | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| April | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
Prescott Valley next to nearby towns
Prescott Valley ranks 4 of 44 Arizona cities here for ice-dam days, behind Flagstaff at 16.2 days.
- Prescott, AZ 7 mi, 0.8 days
- Chino Valley, AZ 11 mi, 0.8 days
- Cottonwood, AZ 22 mi, 0.0 days
- Camp Verde, AZ 26 mi, 0.0 days
- Peoria, AZ 56 mi, 0.0 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Prescott, 6.7 miles from Prescott Valley. 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.