Juniata County, Pennsylvania · Mifflintown
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Juniata County averages 29 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 37% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.8 times a year here, most often in December. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Juniata County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.8 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 90 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
29% of occupied homes in Juniata County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Pennsylvania county median of 10%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 35 times a year in Juniata County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
With 10,506 homes and around 23,379 residents, Juniata County is 391 square miles of southern Pennsylvania. Mifflintown is the county seat; McAlisterville, Port Royal and Thompsontown are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1973, half after.
39/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Juniata County ranks 56 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Juniata County ranks highest compared with other Pennsylvania counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Pennsylvania, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 29 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 110 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 50th of 67 counties.
Cold snaps are the real risk. The worst in the record lasted 14 days below freezing (ending January 2018), and the low bottomed out near -5°F on February 24, 2015.
Most freezing nights fall from November to March, 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 21.
Rainfall is about average for Pennsylvania. Of roughly 43.8 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 6.8 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 37th of 67. August, September and December see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 4.37 inches, September 2, 2021. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.39 inches, ending September 2, 2021, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 90 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
Pennsylvania's 67 counties range widely in housing age; Juniata ranks 47th, with 61% of its homes built before 1980.
17% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of Pennsylvania. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 23% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 9% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
With 14% 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
Juniata County averages 35 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in August. 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 expectMain heating fuel in Juniata County's occupied homes: 2% utility gas, 31% electric, 9% propane and 20% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Juniata County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Huntingdon, Mifflin, Northumberland and Snyder get more pipe-freeze nights than Juniata. Northumberland County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Juniata | Pennsylvania median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 37% | 42% | 46 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 61% | 66% | 47 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 17% | 13% | 17 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.3% | 6.6% | 20 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 12% | 25 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 29% | 10% | 5 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 29/yr | 37/yr | 50 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.8/yr | 7/yr | 37 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 90/yr | 98/yr | 53 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 35/yr | 16/yr | 14 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 Juniata County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in August, September and December.
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