Ice dam risk in Van Wert, OH
How often ice dams form in Van Wert
6.0 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Van Wert, conditions for an ice dam come on about 6.0 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Van Wert averages 17 inches of snow a year and about 20 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 Van Wert
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 3.0 | Low |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 6.0 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 9.8 | Moderate |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 3.0 days a winter here. It drops the risk from moderate to low. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 9.8 days.
What to do about ice dams in Van Wert
- 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.
Which to spend on first: air sealing or heat cable.
Van Wert winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.2 | 7.0 | 2.4 |
| February | 4.5 | 6.9 | 2.1 |
| March | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.3 |
| April | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| December | 2.9 | 3.5 | 1.0 |
Van Wert next to nearby towns
Van Wert ranks 153 of 176 Ohio cities here for ice-dam days, behind Euclid at 24.8 days.
- Decatur, IN 18 mi, 11.4 days
- Celina, OH 21 mi, 5.7 days
- Lima, OH 26 mi, 6.7 days
- New Haven, IN 26 mi, 11.4 days
- Defiance, OH 31 mi, 11.7 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Van Wert 1 S, 1.1 miles from Van Wert. 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.