Ice dam risk in West Memphis, AR
Ice dams in West Memphis, AR: how often
0.2 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in West Memphis sees 0.2 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
West Memphis averages 2 inches of snow a year and about 1 day with snow on the ground. Too little lies on the roof for long. The conditions that make a dam need all three at once: snow, cold at the eave and heat above it.
Do you need to do anything in West Memphis?
- Nothing for ice dams. If you are buying here and an inspector mentions water at the eaves, ask what they saw: it is far more likely a gutter, flashing or drip-edge problem than ice.
Snowy places are not always the worst: why snowfall misleads.
West Memphis winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| February | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| March | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
West Memphis next to nearby towns
West Memphis ranks 27 of 39 Arkansas cities here for ice-dam days, behind Springdale at 1.2 days.
- Marion, AR 4 mi, 0.2 days
- Memphis, TN 13 mi, 0.2 days
- Horn Lake, MS 16 mi, 0.2 days
- Southaven, MS 19 mi, 0.2 days
- Millington, TN 21 mi, 0.3 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from W Memphis, 2.0 miles from West Memphis. 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.