Mahnomen County, Minnesota · Mahnomen
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Mahnomen County averages 113 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly October to April, and 32% of its homes predate 1960.
Basements flood here mostly in July. Mahnomen County averages 3.2 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Mahnomen County gets about 3.2 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 82 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
49% of occupied homes in Mahnomen County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Minnesota county median of 30%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 3 times a year in Mahnomen County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 5,358 people live in Mahnomen County, 558 square miles in northwest Minnesota, in roughly 2,547 homes. The county seat is Mahnomen, and Naytahwaush, Waubun and Riverland round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1975.
44/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Mahnomen County ranks 57 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Mahnomen County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Mahnomen is on the colder side of Minnesota for pipes. From 2015–2024 it averaged 113 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 180 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 11th of 87 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 64 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2019. The coldest night reached about -37°F on January 31, 2019. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from October 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 6 and the last spring freeze around May 10.
Mahnomen gets fewer downpours than most Minnesota counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 23.6 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 3.2 days of an inch or more (74th of 87). Those downpours cluster in June, July and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.02 inches on June 17, 2018. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.32 inches (through July 12, 2016).
About 82 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Minnesota's 87 counties range widely in housing age; Mahnomen ranks 49th, with 58% of its homes built before 1980.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 32% predate 1960 and 19% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 24% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
9% 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 26% 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.
Renters occupy 27% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
About 3 nights a year in Mahnomen County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (76th of 87 counties). June is the wettest month. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Mahnomen County homes break down as 10% utility gas, 28% electric, 41% propane and 8% 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 Mahnomen County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Mahnomen gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Norman County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Mahnomen | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 32% | 34% | 51 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 58% | 58% | 49 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 21% | 50 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.8% | 3.8% | 12 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 26% | 11% | 14 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 49% | 30% | 11 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 113/yr | 89/yr | 11 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 3.2/yr | 5.3/yr | 74 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 86/yr | 71 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 3/yr | 13/yr | 76 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 Mahnomen County: freezing from October to April, heavy rain in June, July and September.
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