Dawson County, Nebraska · Lexington
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Dawson County averages 66 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 38% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 3.2 times a year here, most often in May. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Dawson County gets about 3.2 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Dawson County, 3.44 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
10% of occupied homes in Dawson County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Nebraska county median of 19.4%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 19 times a year in Dawson County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Dawson County covers 1,014 square miles of southern Nebraska, with about 24,202 residents and 9,958 homes. Lexington is the county seat; Cozad, Gothenburg and Overton are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1969, half after.
33/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Dawson County ranks 88 of 93 Nebraska counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Dawson County ranks highest compared with other Nebraska counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Dawson County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 66 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 152 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 41st of 93 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 14 days below freezing (ending March 2019), and the low bottomed out near -28°F on February 15, 2021.
The freeze season here runs November to March, 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 13 and end around May 5.
Dawson gets fewer downpours than most Nebraska counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 23.5 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 3.2 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 71st of 93. April, May and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 3.44 inches, April 17, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.52 inches, ending April 18, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 123 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
Nebraska's 93 counties range widely in housing age; Dawson ranks 66th, with 68% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 38% of homes are pre-1960 and 15% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
Here 8% 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 34% 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 19 nights a year in Dawson County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (58th of 93 counties). May 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, Dawson County homes break down as 41% utility gas, 48% electric, 8% propane and 2% 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 Dawson County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Custer and Lincoln get more pipe-freeze nights than Dawson. Frontier County has the oldest housing nearby, with 79% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Dawson | Nebraska median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 38% | 49% | 77 of 93 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 68% | 73% | 66 of 93 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 15% | 12% | 31 of 93 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.4% | 5% | 18 of 93 |
| Vacant homes | 8.2% | 14% | 77 of 93 |
| Wood or propane heat | 9.8% | 19% | 76 of 93 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 66/yr | 64/yr | 41 of 93 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 3.2/yr | 5.1/yr | 71 of 93 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 123/yr | 112/yr | 31 of 93 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 19/yr | 27/yr | 58 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 Dawson County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in April, May 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