Kanabec County, Minnesota · Mora
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Kanabec County averages 93 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 25% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.4 times a year here, most often in August. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Kanabec County gets about 5.4 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 92 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
60% of occupied homes in Kanabec County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Minnesota county median of 30%.
About 7 nights a year here stay at 65°F or warmer, so basements and crawl spaces can grow mold even without a leak.
Local risk profile
About 16,390 people live in Kanabec County, 522 square miles in central Minnesota, in roughly 7,839 homes. The county seat is Mora, and Ogilvie, Grasston and Quamba round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1983.
43/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Kanabec County ranks 61 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Kanabec County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
For frozen pipes, Kanabec County is a typical Minnesota county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 93 nights a year at or below 20°F (36th of 87) and 168 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 59 days below freezing (ending March 2019), and the low bottomed out near -35°F on January 31, 2019.
Most freezing nights fall from November to April, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 9 and the last spring freeze around May 6.
Rainfall is about average for Minnesota. About 5.4 days a year bring an inch or more (39th of 87), most often in August, out of 32.2 inches of total precipitation. On July 12, 2016, 4.1 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.58 inches (through July 12, 2016).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 92 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
46% of homes in Kanabec County predate 1980, below the Minnesota county median of 58.4%, which ranks 67th of Minnesota's 87 counties.
Growth since 2000 added 29% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
25% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
13% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Minnesota county median of 3.8%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
With 16% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 7 times a year here, below the Minnesota county median of 13. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%. Basements can pass 60% on their own in summer, so a dehumidifier matters even without a leak, and anything wet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Kanabec County homes break down as 27% utility gas, 10% electric, 48% propane and 12% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Minnesota norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Kanabec County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Aitkin and Pine get more pipe-freeze nights than Kanabec. Mille Lacs County has the oldest housing nearby, with 48% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Kanabec | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 25% | 34% | 64 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 46% | 58% | 67 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 29% | 21% | 20 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 13% | 3.8% | 5 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 11% | 27 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 60% | 30% | 3 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 93/yr | 89/yr | 36 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.4/yr | 5.3/yr | 39 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 92/yr | 86/yr | 7 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 7/yr | 13/yr | 62 of 87 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Minnesota county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Kanabec County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in June, July and August.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology