Ramsey County, Minnesota · Saint Paul
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Ramsey County averages 75 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 44% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.2 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 Ramsey County gets about 6.2 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.
2% of occupied homes in Ramsey County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Minnesota county median of 30%.
About 25 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 542,945 people live in Ramsey County, 152 square miles in southern Minnesota, in roughly 233,870 homes. The county seat is Saint Paul, and St. Paul, Maplewood and Roseville round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1965.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Ramsey County ranks 26 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Ramsey County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Ramsey County is milder than most of Minnesota, but not mild enough to skip winterizing. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 75 nights a year at or below 20°F (84th of 87) and 149 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 26 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2015. The coldest night reached about -30°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 November to March, 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 22 and the last spring freeze around Apr 26.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Minnesota. About 6.2 days a year bring an inch or more (20th of 87), most often in August, out of 32.5 inches of total precipitation. On August 11, 2016, 3.82 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.24 inches (through August 13, 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
69% of homes in Ramsey County predate 1980, above the Minnesota county median of 58.4%, which ranks 26th of Minnesota's 87 counties.
Before 1960 is when 44% 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.
Renters occupy 39% 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
Ramsey County averages 25 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in August. 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Ramsey County it's 70% utility gas, 25% electric, 1% propane and under 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Ramsey County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Anoka, Hennepin and Washington get more pipe-freeze nights than Ramsey. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Ramsey | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 44% | 34% | 26 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 69% | 58% | 26 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 21% | 66 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 1.2% | 3.8% | 82 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 5.4% | 11% | 74 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 1.6% | 30% | 87 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 75/yr | 89/yr | 84 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.2/yr | 5.3/yr | 20 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 86/yr | 71 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 25/yr | 13/yr | 1 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 Ramsey County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in May, 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