Will Pipes Freeze in Ada County, ID? 29 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Ada County
In a normal year Ada County, ID gets 29 nights at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 45% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to March, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 117 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 29 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 5 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 29 nights of risk to 5 nights. A 12 ft heat-tape kit runs $17 to $37; an average burst-pipe repair is about $500.
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 10/21, last around 04/24. For 20°F: 11/25 to 02/19.
How cold Ada County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°F; the coldest month, December, averages 25°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, November, December: 5 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26°F | 28°F | 34°F | 39°F | 46°F | 53°F | 60°F | 59°F | 51°F | 41°F | 32°F | 25°F |
Ada County next to its neighbours
Elmore County, ID, 63 km east, gets 106 nights below 20°F to Ada County's 29 nights. Canyon County, ID, 42 km northwest, gets 27 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada County, ID | - | 117 nights | 29 nights | 26°F |
| Canyon County, ID | 42 km northwest | 117 nights | 27 nights | 24°F |
| Elmore County, ID | 63 km east | 211 nights | 106 nights | 10°F |
| Gem County, ID | 69 km north | 157 nights | 51 nights | 20°F |
| Boise County, ID | 73 km northeast | 238 nights | 101 nights | 12°F |
| Payette County, ID | 74 km northwest | 138 nights | 35 nights | 23°F |
| Owyhee County, ID | 98 km south | 166 nights | 56 nights | 21°F |
Ada County within ID
Ada County ranks 42 of 44 ID counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Custer County, ID at 145 nights, with a 5°F average winter low. The fewest is Nez Perce County, ID: 20 nights, winter lows near 27°F. At 2,953 ft, Ada County sits 1,694 ft below the state's median county elevation of 4,646 ft.
What to do here
- Insulate every pipe in unheated space before the season starts.
- Heat tape on the runs you cannot insulate well.
- Shut off and drain outdoor spigots for the season.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Boise Air Terminal, ID, 13 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.