Hanging icicles are a bad sign about the health of your roof. Icicles are a symptom of a major roof issue that can be corrected. The technical term for this condition is “ice damning.”
An ice damn occurs when melting snow re-freezes, creating a “damn” of ice. This damn prevents the snow from falling off the roof naturally and, because it sits on the roof much longer, it causes leaks in the ceiling of the house. This can happen around the eaves, in valleys or around the chimney – anywhere water can easily penetrate.