Ice dam risk in Wadsworth, OH
Will your roof get ice dams in Wadsworth, OH?
14.3 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Wadsworth, conditions for an ice dam come on about 14.3 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Wadsworth averages 36 inches of snow a year and about 46 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 Wadsworth
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 7.0 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 14.3 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 23.4 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 7.3 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 23.4 days.
What to do about ice dams in Wadsworth
- 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.
Wadsworth winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.9 | 15.7 | 5.6 |
| February | 8.2 | 12.8 | 4.3 |
| March | 5.6 | 5.9 | 1.3 |
| April | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.3 |
| December | 9.9 | 8.8 | 2.6 |
Wadsworth next to nearby towns
Wadsworth ranks 30 of 176 Ohio cities here for ice-dam days, behind Euclid at 24.8 days.
- Norton, OH 5 mi, 12.9 days
- Barberton, OH 7 mi, 12.9 days
- New Franklin, OH 9 mi, 12.9 days
- Medina, OH 10 mi, 15.9 days
- Akron, OH 12 mi, 12.9 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Chippewa Lake, 10.8 miles from Wadsworth. 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.
- Snow-on-the-ground counts come from a second, nearby station, because the closest one does not record them.