Cheyenne County, Nebraska · Sidney
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Pipes freeze in Cheyenne County on about 69 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 57% of the stock here, are most at risk.
May brings the most downpours to Cheyenne County, part of 1.2 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
57% 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.
Cheyenne County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.35 inches, and about 141 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
15% of occupied homes in Cheyenne County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
About 2 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
Cheyenne County covers 1,196 square miles of western Nebraska, with about 9,533 residents and 4,888 homes. Sidney is the county seat; Dalton, Potter and Lodgepole are the next largest communities. It has some of the oldest housing in the state: the median home went up in 1957.
46/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Cheyenne County ranks 64 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Cheyenne County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Cheyenne is on the colder side of Nebraska for pipes. It averaged 168 freezing nights a year over 2015–2024, 69 of them at 20°F or colder, cold enough for pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces to freeze. Among 93 Nebraska counties that's 31st.
On February 15, 2021 the low fell to about -22°F, and in the stretch ending February 2021 the county went 13 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 8 and the last spring freeze around May 8.
Cheyenne gets fewer downpours than most Nebraska counties, but they still fill basements. About 1.2 days a year bring an inch or more (88th of 93), most often in May, out of 17.5 inches of total precipitation. On March 14, 2021, 2.35 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 3.13 inches (through March 16, 2021).
About 141 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
Nebraska's 93 counties range widely in housing age; Cheyenne ranks 47th, with 73% of its homes built before 1980.
Before 1960 is when 57% 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 33% 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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 2 times a year here, below the Nebraska county median of 27. 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, Cheyenne County homes break down as 61% utility gas, 21% electric, 15% 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 Cheyenne County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Banner, Garden, Kimball and Morrill get more pipe-freeze nights than Cheyenne. Kimball County has the oldest housing nearby, with 90% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Cheyenne | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 57% | 49% | 18 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 73% | 73% | 47 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 15% | 12% | 30 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 4.8% | 5% | 49 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 8.7% | 14% | 74 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 15% | 19% | 67 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 69/yr | 64/yr | 31 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 1.2/yr | 5.1/yr | 88 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 141/yr | 112/yr | 6 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 2/yr | 27/yr | 86 of 93 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Nebraska county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Cheyenne County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in March, April and May.
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