Ice Dams and Snow loads

I have brown gutters and a brown roof with 24" overhangs. The other day it was in the teens but the sun was shining...the dark colors heated up enough to slowly melt the snow from the gutters on up about 16". Not sure if this has anything to contribute to this thread but I found it interesting.

 

Im hoping now that we are about to turn the corner. We are back into the deep freeze this week, but a coupel days of warmup over the weekend did wonders... Much of the ice is gone from one side of the house, leaking side is slowing down, snowpack in the yard compressed and melted down at least a foot or more (its only up to my knees now ) and many roads are down to blacktop.

We should be seeing temps reaching 40s this time of year so if we can just brake the pattern things might improve quick.

 

My thoughts exactly. As I was outside working in what felt like spring like temps, I realized that the temps were what we very well should be at at this point. Several days in a row like Sunday and we would all be in better shape

 

Even if it doesn't start getting warmer for good for another 2-3 weeks we should be good as long as we don't get another big snowstorm. I can see the blacktop in my driveway in a bunch of spots now. The ice dams and roof issues shouldn't get any worse and I don't mind the big snow drifts as long as we don't add any more. It is only February and we're still talking about New England after all.

 

I hope you're right Dana B and we don't get any surprises. I have a bad memory of one storm... It is the biggest reason I don't let myself get snookered by a few "springlike" days... maybe you remember it too. It was March 31st, 2001... woke up on April 1st (shoulda stayed in bed) ... to 24" of solid wet sticky snow. Impossible to plow. Insane...

 

Couldn't see the forest for the trees ?
Co has no shortage of icicles.
There's no shortage of roof repair and snow and ice dam removal and mitigation services.
http://www.angieslist.com/companylist/us/co/breckenridge/roof-ice-and-snow-removal.htm

 

Rain , freezing rain, sleet, etc have nothing to do with ice dams. They are caused when heat loss through the roof causes the snow to melt, then the water runs off and refreezes on the eve/overhang at the edge of the roof which stays as cold as the outside air.

Basically any house that doesn't have very good insulation and a well ventilated attic is susceptible. In the recent weather Ive seen seen ice on houses built within the last 10 years.


(also - ignore the gutters in the picture below - if your roof is warm you will get dam's regardless of having or not having gutters)

 

True and this is why many roofers around here are going up at least 6 feet with the bichethane water barrier. I cant remember if mine was only 3 feet when it was built in 1994, but any new roof of mine will be at least 6. This is the first time that I ever got water in the ceiling and that was due to the ice dam forming a good 12 feet up due to my partial snow removal.