Dewey County, Oklahoma · Taloga
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Dewey County averages 21 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 32% of its homes predate 1960.
May brings the most downpours to Dewey County, part of 6.8 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
32% 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.
Dewey County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 4.26 inches, and about 82 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
28% of occupied homes in Dewey County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Oklahoma county median of 12.5%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 81 times a year in Dewey County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 4,360 people live in Dewey County, 1,000 square miles in northern Oklahoma, in roughly 2,184 homes. The county seat is Taloga, and Seiling, Vici and Leedey round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1974, half after.
52/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Dewey County ranks 28 of 77 Oklahoma counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Dewey County ranks highest compared with other Oklahoma counties.
Dewey County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Oklahoma. From 2015–2024 it averaged 21 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 90 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 11th of 77 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 12 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -10°F on February 16, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
Most freezing nights fall from December to February, 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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 29 and end around Apr 8.
Dewey gets fewer downpours than most Oklahoma counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 28.6 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 6.8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 65th of 77. May, June and September see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.26 inches, July 7, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 7.22 inches, ending October 10, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 82 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
59% of homes in Dewey County predate 1980, above the Oklahoma county median of 54.8%, which ranks 28th of Oklahoma's 77 counties.
Before 1960 is when 32% 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.
21% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Oklahoma county median of 12.3%. Their water lines run under the floor behind the skirting, so a torn skirt or failed heat tape freezes them faster than lines in a site-built house.
The Census counted 25% of homes as vacant, above the Oklahoma county median of 17.1%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 81 times a year here, below the Oklahoma county median of 98. 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 Dewey County it's 23% utility gas, 45% electric, 25% propane and 3% wood. Propane heat is more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Dewey County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Ellis, Major and Woodward get more pipe-freeze nights than Dewey. Blaine County has the oldest housing nearby, with 69% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Dewey | Oklahoma median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 32% | 24% | 26 of 77 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 59% | 55% | 28 of 77 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 21% | 22% | 42 of 77 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 21% | 12% | 6 of 77 |
| Vacant homes | 25% | 17% | 14 of 77 |
| Wood or propane heat | 28% | 13% | 3 of 77 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 21/yr | 13/yr | 11 of 77 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.8/yr | 11/yr | 65 of 77 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 65/yr | 10 of 77 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 81/yr | 98/yr | 69 of 77 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Oklahoma county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Dewey County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in May, June 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