Ice dam risk in Williamsburg, VA
Ice dams in Williamsburg, VA: how often
0.6 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Williamsburg sees 0.6 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Williamsburg averages 4 inches of snow a year and about 4 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 Williamsburg?
- 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.
Williamsburg winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.3 |
| February | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.2 |
| March | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Williamsburg next to nearby towns
Williamsburg ranks 27 of 39 Virginia cities here for ice-dam days, behind Winchester at 4.7 days.
- Newport News, VA 17 mi, 0.4 days
- Poquoson, VA 24 mi, 0.4 days
- Hampton, VA 27 mi, 0.4 days
- Hopewell, VA 33 mi, 0.1 days
- Portsmouth, VA 34 mi, 0.1 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Williamsburg 2 N, 2.2 miles from Williamsburg. 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.