How To Prevent Ice Dams This Winter In Connecticut

We have a huge snowstorm in the forecast, with incredibly cold temperatures to follow. Have you checked your gutters? it's time to start thinking about Ice Dam season.

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I usually don't get worried about blizzards and Nor'easters, but I am with ice dams and the potential damage to my roof and gutters. January 2026 has been a very snowy month in Connecticut, and now with the extended cold snap that's and this ferocious Southern snow beast on the way? I'm trying to be prepared.

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Our condo complex has 20-30 foot pitched roofs, and there are about 3-4 inches of snow on top of about an inch of ice from our most recent snowstorms. It's 41 degrees today in Torrington, with the sun melting it all down into the frozen, slushy gutters. The worst winter I remember in recent years was 2013, after the February 8 blizzard dumped 24 inches on Waterbury, our roof started creaking like I've never heard before. After a few more inches fell later that week, I was terrified. That was the first time that I remember hearing of roof rakes, and the only time that I've ever paid someone to shovel my roof.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT ICE DAMS?

Even though the air is bone dry, you should reduce moisture levels in your home, and make sure your attic, and your pipes, are properly insulated. A warm attic is bad, melting the layer of snow into ice, which blocks your gutters. A cold attic with good cold-air circulation will reduce the likelihood of ice dams.

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