Lycoming County, Pennsylvania · Williamsport
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Pipes freeze in Lycoming County on about 46 nights a year, mostly November to March. Older homes, 48% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in July. Lycoming County averages 7.7 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Lycoming County spike on heavy-rain days, about 7.7 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 109 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
13% of occupied homes in Lycoming 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 11 times a year in Lycoming County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
Lycoming County covers 1,229 square miles of central Pennsylvania, with about 113,489 residents and 52,715 homes. Williamsport is the county seat; South Williamsport, Kenmar and Montoursville are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1963, half after.
62/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Lycoming County ranks 9 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Lycoming County ranks highest compared with other Pennsylvania counties.
Lycoming County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Pennsylvania. From 2015–2024 it averaged 46 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 138 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 16th of 67 counties.
On February 24, 2015 the low fell to about -12°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 14 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Expect the hardest freezes in January, inside a season that runs November to March. That's when an outdoor spigot left connected to a hose, or a pipe in a crawl space, is most likely to split.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 19 and end around May 4.
Rainfall is about average for Pennsylvania. Of roughly 46 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 7.7 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 26th of 67. July, August and September see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.75 inches, July 24, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.93 inches, ending July 26, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 109 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Pennsylvania's 67 counties range widely in housing age; Lycoming ranks 24th, with 70% 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.
Renters occupy 31% 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
Lycoming County averages 11 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in July. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Lycoming County homes break down as 35% utility gas, 27% electric, 6% propane and 7% wood. Wood 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 Lycoming County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Bradford, Sullivan and Tioga get more pipe-freeze nights than Lycoming. Northumberland County has the oldest housing nearby, with 77% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Lycoming | Pennsylvania median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 48% | 42% | 22 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 70% | 66% | 24 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 12% | 13% | 43 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 5.5% | 6.6% | 40 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 11% | 12% | 38 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 13% | 10% | 27 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 46/yr | 37/yr | 16 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.7/yr | 7/yr | 26 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 109/yr | 98/yr | 7 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 11/yr | 16/yr | 49 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 Lycoming County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in July, August 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