Not necessarily dams, but water damage can occur when the snow is so deep and soaks up rain, that the weight bends the rafters separating joints. Time to shovel, not just rake the eaves. Hire somebody. If he falls, he collects worker's comp for a few months and is back to work. If you fall, you have to live with "What were you thinking?" for years to come.
Depending on conditions, I sometimes throw salt tabs on the roof. They're intended for this use and look like a hockey puck. Most of my roofing is pretty steep-cape style. Even so, last replacement we doubled up on the Bituthane/ice and water shield. I think most roofers nowadays do that automatically, but I've been here over 45 years, so some sectionms and some other buildings are part of a rotation.
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