Marshall County, Minnesota · Warren
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With 38% of homes built before 1960 and about 115 hard-freeze nights a year, frozen and split pipes are a leading winter risk in the county.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 2.4 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Marshall County gets about 2.4 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Marshall County, 3.47 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
44% of occupied homes in Marshall County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Minnesota county median of 30%.
About 4 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
Marshall County covers 1,775 square miles of northwest Minnesota, with about 8,909 residents and 4,396 homes. The county seat is Warren, and Stephen, Argyle and Newfolden round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1971, half after.
48/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Marshall County ranks 47 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Marshall County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Marshall County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Minnesota. From 2015–2024 it averaged 115 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 7th of 87 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 63 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2019. The coldest night reached about -39°F on January 31, 2019. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
The freeze season here runs November to April, with December the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 9 and end around May 11.
Marshall gets fewer downpours than most Minnesota counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 21.3 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 2.4 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 87th of 87. June, July and September see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.47 inches, September 21, 2019. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.93 inches, ending June 9, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 78 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
Roughly 66% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Marshall among the oldest housing stocks of Minnesota's 87 counties.
Before 1960 is when 38% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
10% 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.
The Census counted 14% of homes as vacant, above the Minnesota county median of 11%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
About 4 nights a year in Marshall County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (71st of 87 counties). June is the wettest month. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Marshall County homes break down as 22% utility gas, 25% electric, 41% propane and 4% 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 Marshall County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Pennington and Roseau get more pipe-freeze nights than Marshall. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Kittson County has the oldest housing nearby, with 72% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Marshall | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 38% | 34% | 36 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 66% | 58% | 29 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 21% | 65 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.6% | 3.8% | 9 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 11% | 31 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 44% | 30% | 14 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 115/yr | 89/yr | 7 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 2.4/yr | 5.3/yr | 87 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 78/yr | 86/yr | 86 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 4/yr | 13/yr | 71 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 Marshall County: freezing from November 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