Ice dam risk in Washington Court House, OH
How often ice dams form in Washington Court House
5.6 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Washington Court House, conditions for an ice dam come on about 5.6 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Washington Court House averages 18 inches of snow a year and about 21 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 Washington Court House
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 3.2 | Low |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 5.6 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 8.6 | Moderate |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 2.4 days a winter here. It drops the risk from moderate to low. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 8.6 days.
What to do about ice dams in Washington Court House
- 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.
Washington Court House winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.9 | 9.8 | 3.0 |
| February | 3.7 | 5.2 | 1.3 |
| March | 2.8 | 2.7 | 0.4 |
| April | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| December | 2.7 | 3.0 | 0.7 |
Washington Court House next to nearby towns
Washington Court House ranks 166 of 176 Ohio cities here for ice-dam days, behind Euclid at 24.8 days.
- Wilmington, OH 22 mi, 7.5 days
- London, OH 25 mi, 10.4 days
- Circleville, OH 27 mi, 5.2 days
- Chillicothe, OH 27 mi, 5.2 days
- Xenia, OH 29 mi, 7.5 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Washington Court House, 0.3 miles from Washington Court House. 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.