Ice dam risk in Tremonton, UT
How often ice dams form in Tremonton
15.7 dam days a winter
High risk. On an ordinary house in Tremonton, conditions for an ice dam come on about 15.7 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Tremonton averages 40 inches of snow a year and about 58 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 Tremonton
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 10.4 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 15.7 | High |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 22.2 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 5.2 days a winter here. It drops the risk from high to moderate. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 22.2 days.
What to do about ice dams in Tremonton
- 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.
Tremonton winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.2 | 19.6 | 6.3 |
| February | 8.7 | 16.6 | 4.2 |
| March | 2.8 | 3.7 | 0.5 |
| April | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| May | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| November | 4.4 | 3.8 | 0.8 |
| December | 10.9 | 13.3 | 3.8 |
Tremonton next to nearby towns
Tremonton ranks 28 of 67 Utah cities here for ice-dam days, behind Ogden at 37.2 days.
- Brigham City, UT 16 mi, 14.3 days
- Logan, UT 18 mi, 23.3 days
- Hyrum, UT 19 mi, 24.8 days
- North Logan, UT 20 mi, 23.3 days
- Smithfield, UT 20 mi, 23.2 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Tremonton, 1.3 miles from Tremonton. 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.