Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania · Montrose
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Susquehanna County averages 54 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to April, and 35% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8.9 times a year here, most often in August. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Sewage backups in Susquehanna County spike on heavy-rain days, about 8.9 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 103 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
39% of occupied homes in Susquehanna 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 9 times a year in Susquehanna County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 38,219 people live in Susquehanna County, 823 square miles in northeast Pennsylvania, in roughly 21,348 homes. Besides Montrose, the county seat, the biggest communities are Forest City, Susquehanna Depot and Hallstead. Half the homes here were built before 1975, half after.
56/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Susquehanna County ranks 22 of 67 Pennsylvania counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Susquehanna County ranks highest compared with other Pennsylvania counties.
Susquehanna County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Pennsylvania. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 54 nights a year at or below 20°F (6th of 67) and 144 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
The longest cold spell was straight 15 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in January 2018. The coldest night reached about -16°F on February 24, 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 18 and end around May 5.
Heavy rain is a bigger factor here than in most of Pennsylvania. About 8.9 days a year bring an inch or more (20th of 67), most often in August, out of 47.2 inches of total precipitation. On August 5, 2020, 2.7 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.17 inches, ending August 15, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
The temperature crosses 32°F in both directions on roughly 103 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; Susquehanna ranks 54th, with 57% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 35% of homes are pre-1960 and 13% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 30% 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 11% 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 27% 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
About 9 nights a year in Susquehanna County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (51st of 67 counties). August 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 expectBy main heating fuel, Susquehanna County homes break down as 5% utility gas, 17% electric, 25% propane and 14% wood. Wood and propane heat are 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 Susquehanna County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Wayne gets more pipe-freeze nights than Susquehanna. Lackawanna County has the oldest housing nearby, with 76% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Susquehanna | Pennsylvania median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 35% | 42% | 51 of 67 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 57% | 66% | 54 of 67 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 13% | 13% | 35 of 67 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 11% | 6.6% | 12 of 67 |
| Vacant homes | 27% | 12% | 7 of 67 |
| Wood or propane heat | 39% | 10% | 1 of 67 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 54/yr | 37/yr | 6 of 67 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8.9/yr | 7/yr | 20 of 67 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 103/yr | 98/yr | 17 of 67 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 9/yr | 16/yr | 51 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 Susquehanna County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in April, 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