Updated 2/17/2021 8:28 AM
A seemingly endless stretch of snow and cold will finally let up with a slight warm-up in next week's forecast.
While the Chicago area could enjoy periods of sunshine and above-freezing temperatures, the warming trend is little comfort to Michael Prate or anyone else who has to contend with the threat of another wintry mess: ice dams on roofs.
"We could have a potential nightmare situation developing," says Prate, who's been in the roofing business for nearly 50 years.
Ice dams form as snow begins to melt with the escaping heat of the house's attic, runs down the roof and refreezes at the non-heated edges, jamming up gutters. With nowhere to go, the water backs up and could potentially leak into homes.