Mifflin County, Pennsylvania · Lewistown
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Mifflin County averages 32 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 51% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7 times a year here, most often in September. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Mifflin County gets about 7 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 92 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
18% of occupied homes in Mifflin County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Pennsylvania county median of 10%.
With 29 muggy nights a year, mold in Mifflin County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
About 46,041 people live in Mifflin County, 411 square miles in southern Pennsylvania, in roughly 21,468 homes. The county seat is Lewistown, and Belleville, Burnham and Church Hill round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1960.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Mifflin County ranks 21 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Mifflin County ranks highest compared with other Pennsylvania counties.
For frozen pipes, Mifflin County is a typical Pennsylvania county, which is still plenty. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 32 nights a year at or below 20°F (43rd of 67) and 114 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 14 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -6°F on February 24, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 28 and the last spring freeze around Apr 22.
Rainfall is about average for Pennsylvania. The county gets about 43.9 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 7 days of an inch or more (34th of 67). Those downpours cluster in August, September and December, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 4.07 inches on September 2, 2021. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 5.15 inches (through September 2, 2021).
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 92 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; Mifflin ranks 15th, with 74% of its homes built before 1980.
51% 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.
8% of homes are manufactured or mobile homes, above the Pennsylvania county median of 6.6%. 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.
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
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 29 times a year here, above the Pennsylvania county median of 16. 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, Mifflin County homes break down as 13% utility gas, 26% electric, 6% propane and 12% wood. Wood heat is more common here than in most Pennsylvania counties. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires nationally, and the NFPA recommends having chimneys and vents inspected every year.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Mifflin County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Centre and Union get more pipe-freeze nights than Mifflin. Its housing is the oldest in the area by share of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Mifflin | Pennsylvania median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 51% | 42% | 17 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 74% | 66% | 15 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 11% | 13% | 48 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 8.2% | 6.6% | 25 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 14% | 12% | 26 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 18% | 10% | 18 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 32/yr | 37/yr | 43 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7/yr | 7/yr | 34 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 92/yr | 98/yr | 48 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 29/yr | 16/yr | 20 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 Mifflin 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