Elk County, Pennsylvania · Ridgway
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Elk County averages 49 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 48% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.3 times a year here, most often in June. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Elk County gets about 6.3 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
In Elk County, 2.57 inches fell on the wettest day of the 2015–2024 record. Storms like that, and ice dams in snowy winters, cause most roof leaks.
9% of occupied homes in Elk County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Pennsylvania county median of 10%.
With 8 muggy nights a year, mold in Elk County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 30,506 people live in Elk County, 827 square miles in northwest Pennsylvania, in roughly 16,880 homes. The county seat is Ridgway, and St. Marys, Johnsonburg and Kersey round out the largest towns. Half the homes here were built before 1961, half after.
55/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Elk County ranks 24 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Elk County ranks highest compared with other Pennsylvania counties.
Elk County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Pennsylvania. From 2015–2024 it averaged 49 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 141 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 11th of 67 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 17 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2015. The coldest night reached about -20°F on February 16, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 14 and end around May 10.
Elk gets fewer downpours than most Pennsylvania counties, but they still fill basements. The county gets about 47 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.3 days of an inch or more (46th of 67). Those downpours cluster in June, September and October, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 2.57 inches on September 30, 2015. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.37 inches, ending September 11, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 105 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
Pennsylvania's 67 counties range widely in housing age; Elk ranks 15th, with 74% of its homes built before 1980.
Before 1960 is when 48% 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.
With 21% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 8 times a year here, below the Pennsylvania county median of 16. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Elk County's occupied homes: 72% utility gas, 14% electric, 4% propane and 5% 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 Elk County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Cameron and McKean get more pipe-freeze nights than Elk. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. McKean County has the oldest housing nearby, with 78% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Elk | Pennsylvania median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 48% | 42% | 21 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 74% | 66% | 15 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 7.8% | 13% | 64 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 6.5% | 6.6% | 35 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 21% | 12% | 13 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 8.6% | 10% | 41 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 49/yr | 37/yr | 11 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.3/yr | 7/yr | 46 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 105/yr | 98/yr | 11 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 8/yr | 16/yr | 58 of 67 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Pennsylvania county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Elk County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in June, September 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