Somerset County, Pennsylvania · Somerset
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Somerset County averages 45 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 47% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 6.8 times a year here, most often in September. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Somerset 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 101 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
14% of occupied homes in Somerset County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Pennsylvania county median of 10%.
With 5 muggy nights a year, mold in Somerset County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 37,863 homes and around 72,799 residents, Somerset County is 1,075 square miles of southwest Pennsylvania. Somerset is the county seat; Windber, Berlin and Meyersdale are the next largest communities. Half the homes here were built before 1964, half after.
51/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Somerset County ranks 30 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Somerset County ranks highest compared with other Pennsylvania counties.
Somerset County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Pennsylvania. From 2015–2024 it averaged 45 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 132 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 23rd of 67 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 14 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -12°F on February 24, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
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 20 and end around May 4.
Rainfall is about average for Pennsylvania. The county gets about 49.5 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.8 days of an inch or more (37th of 67). Those downpours cluster in January, June and September, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.09 inches on September 10, 2018. The worst three-day stretch dropped 5.86 inches, ending September 10, 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 101 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
69% of homes in Somerset County predate 1980, close to the Pennsylvania county median of 66%, which ranks 30th of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.
In Somerset County 47% of homes are older than 1960. If yours is one of them and the plumbing has never been replaced, expect galvanized steel supply pipe and cast iron drain lines, the two materials most likely to fail quietly.
10% 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.
The Census counted 23% of homes as vacant, above the Pennsylvania county median of 11.6%. Empty houses are where a small leak turns into a large claim, because nobody is there to hear it.
Beyond water
About 5 nights a year in Somerset County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (64th of 67 counties). May is the wettest month. 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 Somerset County's occupied homes: 21% utility gas, 19% electric, 8% propane and 6% 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 Somerset County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Cambria gets more pipe-freeze nights than Somerset. Cambria County has the oldest housing nearby, with 80% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Somerset | Pennsylvania median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 47% | 42% | 23 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 69% | 66% | 30 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 11% | 13% | 46 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 10% | 6.6% | 16 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 23% | 12% | 11 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 14% | 10% | 25 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 45/yr | 37/yr | 23 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.8/yr | 7/yr | 37 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 101/yr | 98/yr | 22 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 5/yr | 16/yr | 64 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 Somerset County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in January, June 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