Stevens County, Minnesota · Morris
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Stevens County averages 96 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 35% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 5.4 times a year here, most often in August. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Stevens County spike on heavy-rain days, about 5.4 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 89 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
25% of occupied homes in Stevens 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 12 times a year in Stevens County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Stevens County covers 564 square miles of western Minnesota, with about 9,739 residents and 4,182 homes. The county seat is Morris, and Hancock, Chokio and Donnelly round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1971, half after.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Stevens County ranks 27 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Stevens County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Stevens County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Minnesota. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 96 nights a year at or below 20°F (28th of 87) and 165 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -32°F, and in the stretch ending March 2019 the county went 60 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to April. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 11 and end around May 5.
Rainfall is about average for Minnesota. Of roughly 26.1 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 5.4 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 39th of 87. May, July and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.58 inches, August 19, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.81 inches, ending July 12, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 89 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
Minnesota's 87 counties range widely in housing age; Stevens ranks 34th, with 65% of its homes built before 1980.
Older and newer homes sit side by side here: 35% predate 1960 and 18% are from 2000 or later. Corroded pipe is the typical failure in the first group, burst supply hoses in the second.
Renters occupy 37% 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 12 nights a year in Stevens County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (45th of 87 counties). August 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 expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Stevens County it's 44% utility gas, 25% electric, 24% propane and 1% 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 Stevens County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Grant gets more pipe-freeze nights than Stevens. Big Stone County has the oldest housing nearby, with 75% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Stevens | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 35% | 34% | 41 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 65% | 58% | 34 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 18% | 21% | 51 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.4% | 3.8% | 63 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 7% | 11% | 66 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 25% | 30% | 54 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 96/yr | 89/yr | 28 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 5.4/yr | 5.3/yr | 39 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 89/yr | 86/yr | 23 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 12/yr | 13/yr | 45 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 Stevens County: freezing from November to April, 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