Will Pipes Freeze in Alachua County, FL? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Alachua County
In a normal year Alachua County, FL gets under 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 5% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 17 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | under 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from under 1 night of risk to none. 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 12/02, last around 03/03. For 20°F: 01/12 to 01/17.
How cold Alachua County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 44°F; the coldest month, January, averages 43°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43°F | 45°F | 50°F | 55°F | 63°F | 69°F | 71°F | 72°F | 69°F | 60°F | 51°F | 45°F |
Alachua County next to its neighbours
Gilchrist County, FL, 43 km west, gets 2 nights below 20°F to Alachua County's under 1 night. Putnam County, FL, 61 km east, gets none.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County, FL | - | 17 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
| Bradford County, FL | 36 km northeast | 15 nights | under 1 night | 45°F |
| Union County, FL | 42 km north | 19 nights | under 1 night | 42°F |
| Gilchrist County, FL | 43 km west | 26 nights | 2 nights | 40°F |
| Clay County, FL | 59 km northeast | 14 nights | under 1 night | 45°F |
| Marion County, FL | 61 km southeast | 8 nights | under 1 night | 46°F |
| Putnam County, FL | 61 km east | 8 nights | none | 45°F |
Alachua County within FL
Alachua County ranks 21 of 67 FL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Holmes County, FL at 2 nights, with a 40°F average winter low. The fewest is Broward County, FL: none, winter lows near 60°F. At 156 ft, Alachua County sits 102 ft above the state's median county elevation of 54 ft.
What to do here
- Watch the forecast for a sub-threshold night.
- That night: drip the faucet on an outside wall, open the sink cabinet.
A few nights a year catches houses that were never built for it: pipes in places that rarely freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Gainesville Regional Airport, FL, 8 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.