Pennington County, Minnesota · Thief River Falls
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Pipes freeze in Pennington County on about 116 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 34% of the stock here, are most at risk.
June brings the most downpours to Pennington County, part of 2.7 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
34% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Pennington County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.5 inches, and about 80 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
23% of occupied homes in Pennington County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Minnesota county median of 30%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 4 times a year in Pennington County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 6,799 homes and around 13,791 residents, Pennington County is 617 square miles of northwest Minnesota. Thief River Falls is the county seat; St. Hilaire and Goodridge are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1974, half after.
47/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Pennington County ranks 50 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Pennington County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Pennington County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Minnesota. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 116 nights a year at or below 20°F (4th of 87) and 181 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -39°F, and in the stretch ending March 2019 the county went 63 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from November to April, peaking in December. 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 5 and end around May 10.
Pennington gets fewer downpours than most Minnesota counties, but they still fill basements. About 2.7 days a year bring an inch or more (83rd of 87), most often in June, out of 21 inches of total precipitation. On September 21, 2019, 2.5 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.58 inches, ending June 9, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 80 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
Roughly 61% of the county's housing was built before 1980. That puts Pennington near the middle of Minnesota's 87 counties.
The mix runs from 34% built before 1960 to 21% built since 2000, so older neighborhoods bring aging pipe while newer subdivisions bring failed appliance lines and water heaters.
Here 9% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
Renters occupy 28% 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
Pennington County averages 4 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in June. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Pennington County it's 47% utility gas, 25% electric, 21% propane and 2% wood. Heating equipment, cooking and electrical failures cause most home fires nationally. Even a small kitchen fire can leave soot through the whole house, because smoke follows air currents into closets, ducts and attic space.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Pennington County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Pennington gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Red Lake County has the oldest housing nearby, with 69% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Pennington | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 34% | 34% | 44 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 61% | 58% | 41 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 21% | 43 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.9% | 3.8% | 11 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 8.7% | 11% | 56 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 23% | 30% | 56 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 116/yr | 89/yr | 4 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 2.7/yr | 5.3/yr | 83 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 80/yr | 86/yr | 83 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 Pennington 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