Ice dam risk in Richmond, IN
Ice dams in Richmond, IN: how often
9.2 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Richmond, conditions for an ice dam come on about 9.2 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Richmond averages 25 inches of snow a year and about 30 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 Richmond
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 4.7 | Low |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 9.2 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 14.8 | Moderate |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 4.5 days a winter here. It drops the risk from moderate to low. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 14.8 days.
What to do about ice dams in Richmond
- 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.
Richmond winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.9 | 11.7 | 4.0 |
| February | 6.4 | 8.9 | 2.7 |
| March | 3.4 | 2.6 | 0.5 |
| April | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| December | 5.9 | 6.3 | 1.8 |
Richmond next to nearby towns
Richmond ranks 43 of 88 Indiana cities here for ice-dam days, behind Plymouth at 15.9 days.
- Connersville, IN 18 mi, 7.4 days
- Greenville, OH 24 mi, 7.4 days
- Oxford, OH 24 mi, 6.4 days
- New Castle, IN 26 mi, 9.2 days
- Clayton, OH 30 mi, 7.4 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from NEW Castle 3 SW, 27.1 miles from Richmond. 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.
- The weather station is 27 miles away, far enough that local snow can differ.