Ice dam risk in Wichita Falls, TX
How often ice dams form in Wichita Falls
0.2 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Wichita Falls sees 0.2 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Wichita Falls averages 3 inches of snow a year and about 2 days 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 Wichita Falls?
- 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.
Wichita Falls winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| March | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| November | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
Wichita Falls next to nearby towns
Wichita Falls ranks 10 of 252 Texas cities here for ice-dam days, behind Pampa at 2.6 days.
- Burkburnett, TX 12 mi, 0.2 days
- Lawton, OK 49 mi, 0.1 days
- Duncan, OK 51 mi, 0.2 days
- Altus, OK 68 mi, 0.6 days
- Mineral Wells, TX 79 mi, 0.0 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, 5.3 miles from Wichita Falls. 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.