Ice dam risk in Sylvania, OH
Will your roof get ice dams in Sylvania, OH?
11.9 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Sylvania, conditions for an ice dam come on about 11.9 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Sylvania averages 37 inches of snow a year and about 40 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 Sylvania
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 5.9 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 11.9 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 19.4 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 6.0 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 19.4 days.
Preventing ice dams on a Sylvania 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.
Sylvania winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.3 | 14.6 | 5.0 |
| February | 10.2 | 11.8 | 3.7 |
| March | 5.3 | 4.6 | 0.9 |
| April | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
| December | 6.5 | 7.7 | 2.1 |
Sylvania next to nearby towns
Sylvania ranks 81 of 176 Ohio cities here for ice-dam days, behind Euclid at 24.8 days.
- Toledo, OH 7 mi, 11.9 days
- Maumee, OH 10 mi, 11.9 days
- Perrysburg, OH 12 mi, 11.9 days
- Oregon, OH 15 mi, 11.9 days
- Adrian, MI 22 mi, 14.9 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Toledo Express Airport, 9.8 miles from Sylvania. 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.