Will Pipes Freeze in Bay County, FL? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Bay County
In a normal year Bay 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 3% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 14 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 |
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 12/24, last around 02/07.
How cold Bay County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 45°F; the coldest month, January, averages 44°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44°F | 47°F | 52°F | 58°F | 66°F | 73°F | 75°F | 75°F | 71°F | 61°F | 51°F | 46°F |
Bay County next to its neighbours
Washington County, FL, 51 km north, gets 1 night below 20°F to Bay County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay County, FL | - | 14 nights | under 1 night | 44°F |
| Calhoun County, FL | 41 km northeast | 22 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Gulf County, FL | 42 km southeast | 15 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
| Washington County, FL | 51 km north | 26 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| Liberty County, FL | 65 km east | 28 nights | 1 night | 40°F |
| Walton County, FL | 76 km northwest | 25 nights | 1 night | 40°F |
| Jackson County, FL | 77 km northeast | 23 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
Bay County within FL
Bay County ranks 32 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 38 ft, Bay County sits close to 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.
Why rare cold catches people out - freezes 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 Panama City Bay County Airport, FL, 15 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.