Will Pipes Freeze in Adams County, OH? 39 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Adams County
In a normal year Adams County, OH gets 39 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 55% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to March, worst in January.
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 | 39 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 11 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 39 nights of risk to 11 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 10/11, last around 04/29. For 20°F: 11/14 to 03/31.
How cold Adams County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 22°F; the coldest month, January, averages 20°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, March, December: 11 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 22°F | 29°F | 39°F | 50°F | 59°F | 63°F | 61°F | 53°F | 42°F | 32°F | 25°F |
Adams County next to its neighbours
Brown County, OH, 35 km west, gets 42 nights below 20°F to Adams County's 39 nights. Lewis County, KY, 35 km south, gets 37 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, OH | - | 117 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Lewis County, KY | 35 km south | 118 nights | 37 nights | 23°F |
| Brown County, OH | 35 km west | 118 nights | 42 nights | 19°F |
| Highland County, OH | 40 km north | 114 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Mason County, KY | 40 km southwest | 110 nights | 37 nights | 21°F |
| Scioto County, OH | 42 km east | 109 nights | 28 nights | 22°F |
| Pike County, OH | 45 km northeast | 120 nights | 38 nights | 22°F |
Adams County within OH
Adams County ranks 70 of 88 OH counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Williams County, OH at 61 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Scioto County, OH: 28 nights, winter lows near 24°F. At 717 ft, Adams County sits 198 ft below the state's median county elevation of 916 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Ripley Experiment Farm, OH, 28 km away (fair 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.