Winter Burst Pipe Risk in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Thirty winters of NOAA temperatures, Census housing age and NYC 311 complaints show where freezing weather meets old plumbing around our nine offices.
Hard-Freeze Nights by Office
Average number of nights per winter (Nov 1 - Mar 31, 1995/96-2024/25) when the temperature fell to 20°F or lower, a commonly cited alert level for exposed pipes in unheated attics, crawl spaces and outside walls. Darker segments show the colder 10°F and 0°F nights.
- New Hampton Office, NYFirst hard freeze around Nov 2155 nights ≤20°F20.7 ≤10°F5.4 ≤0°FStation: Port Jervis, 25.7 km away.
- Kingston Office, NYFirst hard freeze around Nov 2149.7 nights ≤20°F15.8 ≤10°F3.9 ≤0°FStation: Poughkeepsie airport, 35.9 km away. Nearest weather station with a long record, about 36 km (22 miles) away.
- Brodheadsville Office, PAFirst hard freeze around Nov 2245.8 nights ≤20°F14.5 ≤10°F3 ≤0°FStation: East Stroudsburg, 18.3 km away.
- Peckville Office, PAFirst hard freeze around Nov 2742.6 nights ≤20°F12.9 ≤10°F2.3 ≤0°FStation: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, 19.2 km away.
- Allentown Office, PAFirst hard freeze around Nov 2538.7 nights ≤20°F9.3 ≤10°F1.1 ≤0°FStation: Lehigh Valley International Airport, 6.5 km away.
- Toms River Office, NJFirst hard freeze around Dec 328.4 nights ≤20°F5.9 ≤10°F0.5 ≤0°FStation: Freehold-Marlboro, 36.4 km away. Nearest weather station with a long record, about 36 km (22 miles) inland, so the bay shore is likely a little milder.
- Harrisburg Office, PAFirst hard freeze around Dec 1025.6 nights ≤20°F4.7 ≤10°F0.5 ≤0°FStation: Harrisburg International Airport, 8.2 km away.
- Fairfield Office, NJFirst hard freeze around Dec 1521.6 nights ≤20°F3.5 ≤10°F0.1 ≤0°FStation: Teterboro airport, 18.5 km away.
- New York City Office, NYFirst hard freeze around Dec 2115.5 nights ≤20°F2.5 ≤10°F0 ≤0°FStation: Central Park, Manhattan, 4.2 km away.
Cold Winters + Old Homes = Double Risk
Each dot is one office: hard-freeze nights on the horizontal axis, share of homes built before 1960 in the office's county on the vertical axis. Dashed lines mark the 46.8% average across NY, NJ and PA and the median of 38.7 freeze nights across our nine offices. Peckville (42.6 nights, 55% pre-1960) sits in the top-right corner, with both colder winters and older housing than average.
Swipe sideways to see the whole chart.
Housing age is a county-level figure from the Census ACS and does not describe plumbing in any single home.
When the Freeze Hits: Month by Month
Average nights at or below 20°F in each winter month. January is the worst month at every office, and December and February follow.
| Office | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampton, NY | 2.5 | 11.3 | 17.6 | 15.6 | 8.0 |
| Kingston, NY | 2.3 | 10.3 | 17.2 | 13.9 | 6.0 |
| Brodheadsville, PA | 2.5 | 9.5 | 16.2 | 12.4 | 5.2 |
| Peckville, PA | 1.6 | 7.8 | 15.8 | 11.8 | 5.6 |
| Allentown, PA | 1.7 | 8.0 | 15.0 | 10.5 | 3.6 |
| Toms River, NJ | 0.9 | 5.8 | 12.0 | 7.6 | 2.1 |
| Harrisburg, PA | 0.6 | 4.7 | 11.5 | 6.9 | 2.1 |
| Fairfield, NJ | 0.1 | 3.6 | 9.9 | 6.1 | 1.9 |
| New York City, NY | 0.1 | 2.2 | 7.6 | 4.1 | 1.4 |
New York City: Water Leak and Sewer Backup Complaints by ZIP
Water leak complaints are only slightly higher in winter: 2021 to 2025, the winter months (December to February) averaged 3,479 complaints against 3,324 for the rest of the year, a ratio of 1.05. The clearest cold-month spike was January 2024, with 5,926 complaints, 76% above the monthly average. Sewer backups follow heavy rain, not freezes: the biggest month was September 2021 (Hurricane Ida remnants) with 6,756 requests, and December to February run below the rest of the year (ratio 0.72).
Try: · · · ·
Enter a New York City ZIP code to see its complaint history.
Citywide water leak complaints by month
Swipe sideways to see the whole chart.
Each bar is one month, Jan 2021 to Dec 2025. December to February are dark, January 2024 is red.
Counties We Serve: Share of Homes Built Before 1960
Older homes are more likely to have original supply lines and poorly insulated walls. Share of all housing units, Census ACS 2024 five-year estimates.
| County | State | Housing units | Before 1960 | Before 1940 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau County | NY | 479,044 | 66.1% | 19.2% |
| Kings County | NY | 1,100,772 | 65.5% | 47.0% |
| Queens County | NY | 910,206 | 63.2% | 29.9% |
| New York County | NY | 923,472 | 58.0% | 42.9% |
| Passaic County | NJ | 185,816 | 56.8% | 28.8% |
| Bronx County | NY | 559,415 | 56.1% | 33.3% |
| Lackawanna County | PA | 100,177 | 54.7% | 36.1% |
| Essex County | NJ | 336,962 | 52.6% | 29.1% |
| Westchester County | NY | 394,358 | 52.1% | 27.5% |
| Bergen County | NJ | 369,613 | 50.7% | 19.3% |
| Luzerne County | PA | 151,287 | 49.7% | 30.3% |
| Albany County | NY | 147,662 | 45.6% | 26.6% |
| Ulster County | NY | 86,503 | 44.5% | 26.6% |
| Columbia County | NY | 33,393 | 44.1% | 31.3% |
| Lehigh County | PA | 151,220 | 41.5% | 24.1% |
| Northampton County | PA | 129,448 | 40.7% | 26.2% |
| Dauphin County | PA | 127,828 | 38.7% | 19.1% |
| Greene County | NY | 29,080 | 38.3% | 24.5% |
| Putnam County | NY | 38,450 | 37.5% | 17.4% |
| Sullivan County | NY | 49,994 | 36.8% | 20.1% |
| Orange County | NY | 149,699 | 34.5% | 20.1% |
| Dutchess County | NY | 123,169 | 34.5% | 17.9% |
| Morris County | NJ | 199,506 | 32.9% | 12.4% |
| Richmond County | NY | 184,621 | 31.2% | 17.5% |
| Suffolk County | NY | 580,772 | 30.8% | 9.1% |
| Monmouth County | NJ | 270,415 | 30.2% | 13.5% |
| Cumberland County | PA | 111,278 | 29.6% | 15.5% |
| Atlantic County | NJ | 132,199 | 28.4% | 13.8% |
| Rockland County | NY | 108,945 | 27.8% | 10.7% |
| Burlington County | NJ | 186,315 | 24.2% | 10.3% |
| Monroe County | PA | 79,607 | 16.9% | 9.1% |
| Ocean County | NJ | 296,357 | 16.0% | 4.1% |
| NY total | 8,585,241 | 52.0% | 30.3% | |
| NJ total | 3,791,354 | 37.7% | 17.4% | |
| PA total | 5,806,452 | 44.9% | 25.0% | |
| All three states | 18,183,047 | 46.8% | 25.9% | |
If a Pipe Bursts
- Step 1Shut off the water at the main valve
Stop the water first, then deal with the spill, so the leak does no more damage than it already has.
Source: Insurance Information Institute - Step 2Stay safe around electricity
Turn off the main power only if you can reach it from a dry spot. If you would have to step into standing water, call an electrician instead.
Source: CDC - Step 3Photograph the damage before cleanup
Photograph or video every affected area, keep damaged items until the adjuster has seen them, and save receipts for what you spend.
Source: Insurance Information Institute - Step 4Call your insurance company right away
Report the loss promptly and follow the claims instructions you are given.
Source: Pennsylvania Insurance Department - Step 5Make only temporary repairs until the adjuster visits
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department warns that permanent repairs before the inspection could trigger a denial of the claim.
Source: Pennsylvania Insurance Department - Step 6Get the pipe fixed and the water dried out
Use a licensed plumber for the pipe. For any repair or restoration contractor, check references, get more than one estimate and get everything in writing.
Source: Pennsylvania Insurance Department - Step 7Pipe frozen but not burst? Thaw it gently
Keep the faucet open and use a heating pad, hair dryer or towels soaked in hot water. Never use an open flame such as a torch.
Source: American Red Cross
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes
- Keep the heat at 55°F or higher, even when you are away
The Red Cross says to leave the heat on, set no lower than 55°F, when you travel in cold weather. IBHS FORTIFIED gives the same minimum.
Source: American Red Cross - Hold one thermostat setting day and night in a cold snap
Skipping the lower night setting costs a little more in heating, which the Red Cross notes is far cheaper than a burst pipe.
Source: American Red Cross - Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors on outside walls
Warm room air then reaches the pipes under the sink. Move cleaners out of reach of children first.
Source: American Red Cross - Let a faucet on exposed pipes drip
In very cold weather, a slow drip of cold water from a faucet served by exposed pipes helps keep them from freezing.
Source: American Red Cross - Insulate pipes in unheated spaces
Attics, basements, crawl spaces, garages and cabinets under sinks. Pipe sleeves or UL-listed heat tape help, and sealing air leaks near pipes keeps cold air off them.
Source: IBHS FORTIFIED - Drain hoses and shut the indoor valve to outdoor spigots
Close the inside valve, then open the outside spigot so any water left in the line can expand without breaking the pipe.
Source: American Red Cross - Know where your main water shutoff is
Find the main valve and learn how it works before winter, so you can stop the water in seconds if a pipe breaks.
Source: Insurance Information Institute - Away for a while? Arrange checks or drain the system
Ask a neighbor to check the house regularly, or have the water system drained by a professional if you will be gone for an extended time.
Source: Insurance Information Institute
What Insurance Usually Covers
Water damage and freezing claims averaged $15,400 each in 2019 to 2023, and the category made up 22.6% of homeowners losses in 2023, second only to wind and hail. These are national figures, not state figures.
Source: Insurance Information Institute (ISO data)Why 20°F? It is a commonly cited alert level from University of Illinois field tests, in which uninsulated pipes in an unheated attic began to freeze when the outdoor temperature fell to 20°F or below. Pipes inside a heated, insulated house can stay safe much colder, and exposed pipes can freeze above 20°F in wind. We use 20°F nights as a measure of how often a place gets cold enough to put exposed plumbing at risk, not as a prediction that pipes will burst.
Source: South Carolina Farm Bureau InsuranceStandard homeowners policies cover sudden bursts. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department says standard policies cover winter disasters such as burst pipes.
Source: Pennsylvania Insurance DepartmentSlow leaks are a different story. New Jersey's sample homeowners summary lists sudden and accidental water damage as covered, and water damage from continuous or repeated seepage as not covered.
Source: NJ DOBI homeowners policy summaryHeat matters. The standard HO-3 freezing exclusion does not apply if you used reasonable care to keep the building heated or to shut off and drain the water. The policy sets no specific temperature.
Source: ISO HO 00 03 analysis (PropertyCasualty360)Negligence can cost you the claim. New Jersey regulators say frozen pipes may be covered as long as the damage is not caused by the homeowner's negligence.
Source: New Jersey Department of Banking and InsuranceNew York regulators give failing to keep an adequate temperature in the house as an example of negligence that can leave a pipe repair uncovered.
Source: New York Department of Financial ServicesVacant homes carry extra risk. Vacancy limits in many policies start after 30 to 60 days without occupants, and failing to heat a vacant home could void coverage.
Source: Insurance Information Institute
Pipe burst? Call your local office
Each office answers 24/7 for its own service area. Pick the one closest to you.
About This Data
- Temperatures: daily minimum temperatures (in degrees Fahrenheit) from the nearest NOAA weather station with a long record for each office, winters November 1 to March 31 from 1995/96-2024/25. Winters with less than 80% of days recorded were left out. Stations used: New Hampton: Port Jervis (25.7 km); Kingston: Poughkeepsie airport (35.9 km); New York City: Central Park, Manhattan (4.2 km); Fairfield: Teterboro airport (18.5 km); Toms River: Freehold-Marlboro (36.4 km); Harrisburg: Harrisburg International Airport (8.2 km); Allentown: Lehigh Valley International Airport (6.5 km); Peckville: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (19.2 km); Brodheadsville: East Stroudsburg (18.3 km). Kingston: Nearest weather station with a long record, about 36 km (22 miles) away. Toms River: Nearest weather station with a long record, about 36 km (22 miles) inland, so the bay shore is likely a little milder.
- Housing age: share of all housing units built before 1960 (1939 or earlier, the 1940s and the 1950s), from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024 estimates. These are survey estimates and carry a margin of error.
- NYC complaints: from NYC Open Data 311 service requests, 2021 to 2025. Water leaks are indoor leaks reported to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (slow leaks, damp spots, heavy flow) plus leaking or defective plumbing reported to the Department of Buildings. Sewer backups are requests to the Department of Environmental Protection for a backed-up sewer. Street water main breaks, hydrants and basement flooding from rain are not counted as water leaks. Requests without a valid ZIP code were dropped (50 water leak and 36 sewer rows).
- 311 counts are complaints, not confirmed burst pipes. A complaint can be a slow leak, a duplicate report or a problem that has nothing to do with freezing.
