As winter blanketed Central Oregon with heavy snowfall and ice this past week, the picturesque landscape may be concealing a looming threat for many community members. With the brunt of December’s winter storm surge now passed, fluctuations in temperature can bring the possibility of flooding and ice dams for homeowners.

Ice dams form through the combination of snow accumulation and fluctuations in temperature. Following a storm, a layer of snow covers the roof. Heat from inside a home rises, causing the lower layer of snow to melt into water. As this water reaches the roof’s colder edges, it refreezes and gradually forms a layer of ice, sometimes causing the formation of icicles.

This process repeats, creating a cycle of melting and refreezing that thickens the ice layer and eventually leads to the formation of an ice dam. Ice dams can contribute to mold, water leaks, ruined insulation and rotten roofs — potentially resulting in thousands of dollars of damage to homes.

Craig Blanchette, the Project Supervisor at NW Quality Roofing in Bend, recommends that homeowners remove snow from their roofs when the snow accumulation reaches 1 foot or more. Homeowners should also consider installing heat cables, small electrical cables that generate warmth and melt accumulated snow and ice, Blanchette said.

Still, heat cables “aren’t foolproof,” Blanchette said, as ice can still develop near the cables when temperatures are consistently below freezing.

As temperatures are forecast to rise, city officials and emergency services are asking residents to help keep storm drains and fire hydrants clear, too, as neighborhoods can be at the risk of flooding if storm drains aren’t properly cleared.

Clearing snow and ice ensures that melting snow has a clear path to drain away, preventing water from pooling on streets and sidewalks, said David Abbas, the Transportation and Mobility director for the city of Bend.

The city hired two on-call companies to help plow Bend’s streets in anticipation of the winter storms, Abbas said. Still, a plow won’t be able to clear snow and ice from a drain if there are cars or trailers blocking its access. Plows also cannot clear storm drains if they are on a bike path.

Abbas doesn’t anticipate extensive flooding, but the formation of small ponds within roadways over the next week is likely. Residents should also consider clearing at least a 3-foot radius of snow away from fire hydrants, making them easily visible and accessible to firefighters in case of an emergency.

Winter weather advisory issued for Sunriver and La Pine