Ice dam risk in Ramsey, NJ
Ice dams in Ramsey, NJ: how often
8.7 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Ramsey, conditions for an ice dam come on about 8.7 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Ramsey averages 33 inches of snow a year and about 39 days with snow on the ground. Plenty falls, but it tends to melt off between storms, which keeps the count lower than the snowfall suggests. That gap is why snowfall alone misleads.
What your attic does to that number in Ramsey
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 6.6 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 8.7 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 11.2 | Moderate |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 2.0 days a winter here. It does not move the risk band, but it shortens every dam.
Preventing ice dams on a Ramsey roof
- 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.
Ramsey winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.4 | 12.6 | 3.3 |
| February | 10.9 | 12.8 | 3.0 |
| March | 5.8 | 6.5 | 1.0 |
| April | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 5.6 | 6.8 | 1.4 |
Ramsey next to nearby towns
Ramsey ranks 9 of 116 New Jersey cities here for ice-dam days, behind Hopatcong at 14.7 days.
- Waldwick, NJ 3 mi, 8.7 days
- Suffern, NY 4 mi, 8.7 days
- Airmont, NY 4 mi, 8.7 days
- Franklin Lakes, NJ 5 mi, 4.7 days
- Oakland, NJ 5 mi, 4.7 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Dobbs Ferry-Ardsley, 16.7 miles from Ramsey. 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.