Washington County, Oklahoma · Bartlesville
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Washington County averages 18 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly December to February, and 34% of its homes predate 1960.
Basements flood here mostly in May. Washington County averages 10.1 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Washington County spike on heavy-rain days, about 10.1 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 75 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
7% of occupied homes in Washington County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Oklahoma county median of 12.5%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 90 times a year in Washington County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Washington County covers 416 square miles of northeast Oklahoma, with about 53,326 residents and 23,741 homes. The county seat is Bartlesville, and Dewey, Copan and Ramona round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1971, half after.
61/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Washington County ranks 8 of 77 Oklahoma counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Washington County ranks highest compared with other Oklahoma counties.
Washington County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Oklahoma. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 18 nights a year at or below 20°F (14th of 77) and 82 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 12 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in February 2021. The coldest night reached about -14°F on February 17, 2021. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
The freeze season here runs December to February, 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 Nov 1 and end around Apr 2.
Rainfall is about average for Oklahoma. The county gets about 39.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 10.1 days of an inch or more (47th of 77). Those downpours cluster in May, July and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 5.74 inches on May 21, 2019. The worst three-day stretch dropped 7.17 inches, ending May 23, 2019, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 75 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
65% of homes in Washington County predate 1980, above the Oklahoma county median of 54.8%, which ranks 19th of Oklahoma's 77 counties.
34% were built before 1960. Homes from that era often still have galvanized steel supply pipe, which rusts from the inside until it pinholes, and cast iron drains that crack with age. Slow leaks behind walls are a common start to water damage in these houses.
Beyond water
Washington County averages 90 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in May. 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, Washington County homes break down as 63% utility gas, 30% electric, 6% 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 Washington County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Washington gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Washington | Oklahoma median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 34% | 24% | 19 of 77 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 65% | 55% | 19 of 77 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 17% | 22% | 54 of 77 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6% | 12% | 66 of 77 |
| Vacant homes | 12% | 17% | 65 of 77 |
| Wood or propane heat | 6.5% | 13% | 64 of 77 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 18/yr | 13/yr | 14 of 77 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 10/yr | 11/yr | 47 of 77 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 75/yr | 65/yr | 16 of 77 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 90/yr | 98/yr | 55 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 Washington County: freezing from December to February, heavy rain in May, July and October.
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