Ice dam risk in Torrington, CT
Will your roof get ice dams in Torrington, CT?
23.6 dam days a winter
High risk. On an ordinary house in Torrington, conditions for an ice dam come on about 23.6 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Torrington averages 59 inches of snow a year and about 80 days with snow on the ground. Snow that lies that long is what turns a little attic heat into a ridge of ice at the eave. 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 Torrington
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 14.6 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 23.6 | High |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 34.9 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 9.0 days a winter here. It drops the risk from high to moderate. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 34.9 days.
What to do about ice dams in Torrington
- 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.
- At the next reroof, ask for ice-and-water membrane under the shingles from the eave to at least 24 inches inside the wall line. It does not stop a dam; it stops the leak when one forms.
Which to spend on first: air sealing or heat cable.
Torrington winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13.1 | 23.0 | 7.9 |
| February | 15.8 | 21.4 | 6.8 |
| March | 12.7 | 16.6 | 4.0 |
| April | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| October | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 2.6 | 2.1 | 0.4 |
| December | 12.0 | 14.7 | 4.2 |
Torrington next to nearby towns
Torrington ranks 1 of 21 Connecticut cities here for ice-dam days, the worst in the state.
- Bristol, CT 14 mi, 11.7 days
- Waterbury, CT 20 mi, 11.7 days
- New Britain, CT 21 mi, 11.7 days
- Hartford, CT 24 mi, 11.2 days
- Naugatuck, CT 24 mi, 11.9 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Bakersville, 6.3 miles from Torrington. 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.