McLeod County, Minnesota · Glencoe
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Pipes freeze in McLeod County on about 84 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 28% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 4.1 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in McLeod County spike on heavy-rain days, about 4.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 85 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
20% of occupied homes in McLeod County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Minnesota county median of 30%.
With 16 muggy nights a year, mold in McLeod County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 36,798 people live in McLeod County, 492 square miles in southern Minnesota, in roughly 15,972 homes. The county seat is Glencoe, and Hutchinson, Winsted and Lester Prairie round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1979, half after.
37/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate McLeod County ranks 75 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where McLeod County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in McLeod County sits near the middle of the state. It averaged 154 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 84 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 87 Minnesota counties that's 55th.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 24 days below freezing (ending March 2015), and the low bottomed out near -29°F on January 31, 2019.
The freeze season here runs November to April, with January 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 12 and end around Apr 29.
McLeod gets fewer downpours than most Minnesota counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 26.7 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 4.1 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 62nd of 87. June, July and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.14 inches, August 11, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.51 inches, ending August 13, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 85 days a year. Each cycle melts and refreezes water at roof edges and in foundation cracks, which is how ice dams and basement seepage get started.
Housing
52% of homes in McLeod County predate 1980, below the Minnesota county median of 58.4%, which ranks 56th of Minnesota's 87 counties.
The mix runs from 28% built before 1960 to 19% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 29% 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.
Beyond water
About 16 nights a year in McLeod County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (32nd of 87 counties). August is the wettest month. 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, McLeod County homes break down as 57% utility gas, 20% electric, 18% propane and 1% wood. Fires here are likelier to start in the kitchen or the wiring than in the furnace. After any fire, keep the HVAC off until ducts are checked, or soot will travel through the house.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across McLeod County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Meeker, Renville and Wright get more pipe-freeze nights than McLeod. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Renville County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | McLeod | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 28% | 34% | 58 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 52% | 58% | 56 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 21% | 49 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4.8% | 3.8% | 34 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 4.7% | 11% | 78 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 20% | 30% | 65 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 84/yr | 89/yr | 55 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 4.1/yr | 5.3/yr | 62 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 85/yr | 86/yr | 54 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 16/yr | 13/yr | 32 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 McLeod 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