Will Pipes Freeze in Benewah County, ID? 32 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Benewah County
In a normal year Benewah County, ID gets 32 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 48% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs October to March, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 151 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 32 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 9 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 32 nights of risk to 9 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 10/05, last around 05/11. For 20°F: 11/19 to 03/06.
How cold Benewah County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, December, averages 24°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, November, December: 9 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 25°F | 30°F | 34°F | 41°F | 46°F | 51°F | 50°F | 43°F | 35°F | 30°F | 24°F |
Benewah County next to its neighbours
Shoshone County, ID, 58 km east, gets 50 nights below 20°F to Benewah County's 32 nights. Latah County, ID, 45 km south, gets 29 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benewah County, ID | - | 151 nights | 32 nights | 24°F |
| Latah County, ID | 45 km south | 143 nights | 29 nights | 25°F |
| Kootenai County, ID | 51 km north | 139 nights | 29 nights | 25°F |
| Shoshone County, ID | 58 km east | 172 nights | 50 nights | 22°F |
| Spokane County, WA | 73 km northwest | 135 nights | 31 nights | 25°F |
| Whitman County, WA | 77 km southwest | 128 nights | 26 nights | 27°F |
| Clearwater County, ID | 96 km southeast | 209 nights | 55 nights | 19°F |
Benewah County within ID
Benewah County ranks 39 of 44 ID counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Custer County, ID at 145 nights, with a 5°F average winter low. The fewest is Nez Perce County, ID: 20 nights, winter lows near 27°F. At 2,984 ft, Benewah County sits 1,662 ft below the state's median county elevation of 4,646 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 Plummer (3 mi WSW), ID, 26 km away (fair 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.