Will Pipes Freeze in Aroostook County, ME? 111 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Aroostook County
In a normal year Aroostook County, ME gets 111 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 96% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 189 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 111 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 75 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 45 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 111 nights of risk to 75 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 09/26, last around 05/14. For 20°F: 11/03 to 04/12.
How cold Aroostook County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 4°F; the coldest month, January, averages 0°F overnight. 10 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, April, November, December: 75 nights a year, and 45 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0°F | 2°F | 13°F | 28°F | 40°F | 49°F | 55°F | 53°F | 45°F | 35°F | 25°F | 11°F |
Aroostook County next to its neighbours
Somerset County, ME, 169 km southwest, gets 113 nights below 20°F to Aroostook County's 111 nights. Piscataquis County, ME, 96 km southwest, gets 109 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aroostook County, ME | - | 189 nights | 111 nights | 0°F |
| Piscataquis County, ME | 96 km southwest | 188 nights | 109 nights | 2°F |
| Penobscot County, ME | 145 km south | 175 nights | 101 nights | 4°F |
| Somerset County, ME | 169 km southwest | 192 nights | 113 nights | 1°F |
| Washington County, ME | 209 km south | 165 nights | 87 nights | 11°F |
| Franklin County, ME | 238 km southwest | 199 nights | 116 nights | 2°F |
| Hancock County, ME | 239 km south | 160 nights | 75 nights | 11°F |
Aroostook County within ME
Aroostook County ranks 3 of 16 ME counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Franklin County, ME at 116 nights, with a 5°F average winter low. The fewest is Knox County, ME: 55 nights, winter lows near 19°F. At 892 ft, Aroostook County sits 594 ft above the state's median county elevation of 298 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Presque Isle, ME, 46 km away (fair 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.