Ice dam risk in Tiffin, OH
Ice dams in Tiffin, OH: how often
13.5 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Tiffin, conditions for an ice dam come on about 13.5 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Tiffin averages 30 inches of snow a year and about 45 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 Tiffin
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 6.8 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 13.5 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 22.0 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 6.8 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 22.0 days.
What to do about ice dams in Tiffin
- 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.
Tiffin winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.4 | 15.5 | 5.3 |
| February | 6.8 | 13.5 | 4.2 |
| March | 4.9 | 5.2 | 1.0 |
| April | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.2 |
| December | 6.9 | 9.6 | 2.8 |
Tiffin next to nearby towns
Tiffin ranks 64 of 176 Ohio cities here for ice-dam days, behind Euclid at 24.8 days.
- Fostoria, OH 12 mi, 13.5 days
- Fremont, OH 17 mi, 10.0 days
- Bucyrus, OH 24 mi, 13.9 days
- Findlay, OH 24 mi, 10.6 days
- Bowling Green, OH 30 mi, 11.4 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Tiffin, 0.7 miles from Tiffin. 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.