Ice dam risk in Wilmington, NC
Ice dams in Wilmington, NC: how often
0.1 dam days a winter
Almost never. An ordinary house in Wilmington sees 0.1 days a winter when an ice dam can form, because snow rarely stays on a roof long enough below freezing.
Wilmington averages 1 inch 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 Wilmington?
- 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.
Wilmington winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| February | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Wilmington next to nearby towns
Wilmington ranks 61 of 91 North Carolina cities here for ice-dam days, behind Boone at 4.9 days.
- Leland, NC 9 mi, 0.1 days
- Jacksonville, NC 46 mi, 0.0 days
- North Myrtle Beach, SC 54 mi, 0.0 days
- Myrtle Beach, SC 67 mi, 0.0 days
- Lumberton, NC 71 mi, 0.1 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Wilmington International Airport, 4.1 miles from Wilmington. 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.