Winter in a Fort Wayne house

Fort Wayne winter is the season a house has to get right: January's normal low is 18°F, and most of the year's 33.6 inches of snow falls from December to February.

A brick house and garage behind a snow-covered lawn under bare trees in Wildwood Park, Fort Wayne — PLATE 1Wildwood Park, Fort Wayne. December through February account for 3,298 of the city's 5,968 normal heating degree days.

Heating degree days measure how hard a furnace works. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals give Fort Wayne 5,968 a year, and more than half arrive in three months. These five essays cover what goes wrong in those months and what a homeowner can safely do about it.

JanuarySnow on the furnace ventsA normal January brings 10.8 inches of snow. Two plastic pipes must stay clear.
JanuaryWhen the furnace quitsFive checks a homeowner can safely make at 18°F, and where to stop.
FebruaryFrozen pipes in a cold snapWarm air has to reach the plumbing. Keep heat at 55°F or above when away.
FebruarySpace heaters in a cold houseThree feet clear, straight into the wall, and off before you go to bed.
DecemberDrafts and cold floorsHalf of Fort Wayne's homes predate 1972. Look for cold-floor leaks in the basement first.