Ice dam risk in Taunton, MA
Will your roof get ice dams in Taunton, MA?
8.2 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Taunton, conditions for an ice dam come on about 8.2 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Taunton averages 26 inches of snow a year and about 33 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 Taunton
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 5.7 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 8.2 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 11.4 | Moderate |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 2.5 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 11.4 days.
What to do about ice dams in Taunton
- 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.
Taunton winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.3 | 11.3 | 3.2 |
| February | 7.0 | 9.5 | 2.6 |
| March | 4.9 | 8.1 | 1.6 |
| April | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 3.7 | 3.3 | 0.8 |
Taunton next to nearby towns
Taunton ranks 53 of 58 Massachusetts cities here for ice-dam days, behind Pittsfield at 31.3 days.
- Bridgewater Town, MA 8 mi, 7.6 days
- Attleboro, MA 10 mi, 13.0 days
- Fall River, MA 12 mi, 7.2 days
- Brockton, MA 13 mi, 7.6 days
- North Attleborough Town, MA 13 mi, 12.4 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Taunton, 1.5 miles from Taunton. 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.