Will Pipes Freeze in Alfalfa County, OK? 30 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Alfalfa County
In a normal year Alfalfa County, OK gets 30 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 46% 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 | 104 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 30 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 30 nights of risk to 6 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 10/29, last around 04/10. For 20°F: 11/24 to 03/06.
How cold Alfalfa County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°F overnight. 7 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, December: 6 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 26°F | 35°F | 44°F | 56°F | 66°F | 71°F | 70°F | 61°F | 47°F | 34°F | 25°F |
Alfalfa County next to its neighbours
Grant County, OK, 48 km east, gets 31 nights below 20°F to Alfalfa County's 30 nights. Major County, OK, 50 km southwest, gets 23 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa County, OK | - | 104 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Grant County, OK | 48 km east | 104 nights | 31 nights | 23°F |
| Woods County, OK | 48 km west | 108 nights | 34 nights | 23°F |
| Major County, OK | 50 km southwest | 89 nights | 23 nights | 26°F |
| Harper County, KS | 56 km northeast | 101 nights | 30 nights | 22°F |
| Garfield County, OK | 62 km southeast | 93 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Barber County, KS | 64 km northwest | 116 nights | 41 nights | 21°F |
Alfalfa County within OK
Alfalfa County ranks 11 of 77 OK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Beaver County, OK at 55 nights, with a 21°F average winter low. The fewest is Choctaw County, OK: 7 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 1,159 ft, Alfalfa County sits 151 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,009 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 Cherokee Mesonet (1 mi SSW), OK, 4 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.