Crews worked throughout the day to repair the line, which fractured after a dramatic change in temperature, according to the Frederick Department of Public Works.

Dozens of houses along Willowdale Drive between Key Parkway and Schaffer Drive were without water for a few hours.

For some residents the water disruption was not a major hardship.

"I don't think it was more than a couple of hours," said William Blumenberg, who lives on Bishops Glen Drive. "I missed a shower or two here, I guess."

Michael Small on Lake Coventry Court said he hardly noticed a water outage.

"It was out for a minute, the next time I turned around it was back on," he said.

Houses on Bishops Glen Drive, Lake Coventry Court, Victoria Square and Schaffer Drive had periodic water outages. The Brookside, Manor and Little Brook apartment complexes were also without water for a few hours.

The break was reported just before 6 a.m. Thursday. Crews wrapped up repairs on the broken pipe by 6 p.m., according to public works.

Daytime temperatures Thursday reached the low 50s compared with high temperatures barely above freezing in earlier weekdays and well below freezing at night, according to the National Weather Service.

Significant changes in temperature can often cause underground pipes to expand and contract, making them more fragile and prone to breaks.

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