Will Pipes Freeze in Barry County, MI? 64 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Barry County
In a normal year Barry County, MI gets 64 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 74% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 148 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 64 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 26 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 8 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 64 nights of risk to 26 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 10/12, last around 05/03. For 20°F: 11/19 to 04/01.
How cold Barry County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 19°F; the coldest month, January, averages 17°F overnight. 9 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 26 nights a year, and 8 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17°F | 17°F | 24°F | 35°F | 46°F | 56°F | 59°F | 58°F | 50°F | 40°F | 31°F | 23°F |
Barry County next to its neighbours
Eaton County, MI, 38 km east, gets 65 nights below 20°F to Barry County's 64 nights. Kalamazoo County, MI, 41 km southwest, gets 51 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry County, MI | - | 148 nights | 64 nights | 17°F |
| Eaton County, MI | 38 km east | 148 nights | 65 nights | 15°F |
| Kalamazoo County, MI | 41 km southwest | 129 nights | 51 nights | 18°F |
| Ionia County, MI | 45 km northeast | 148 nights | 64 nights | 16°F |
| Calhoun County, MI | 45 km southeast | 135 nights | 57 nights | 17°F |
| Kent County, MI | 53 km north | 139 nights | 49 nights | 17°F |
| Clinton County, MI | 72 km northeast | 144 nights | 62 nights | 18°F |
Barry County within MI
Barry County ranks 52 of 83 MI counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Iron County, MI at 120 nights, with a 3°F average winter low. The fewest is Allegan County, MI: 38 nights, winter lows near 24°F. At 864 ft, Barry County sits 56 ft above the state's median county elevation of 808 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 Hastings, MI, 7 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.