Will Pipes Freeze in Benton County, WA? 19 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Benton County
In a normal year Benton County, WA gets 19 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 36% 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 | 103 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 19 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 3 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 19 nights of risk to 3 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 10/22, last around 04/14. For 20°F: 11/25 to 02/21.
How cold Benton County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, December, averages 27°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: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27°F | 29°F | 35°F | 40°F | 48°F | 53°F | 59°F | 58°F | 50°F | 41°F | 32°F | 27°F |
Benton County next to its neighbours
Yakima County, WA, 97 km west, gets 26 nights below 20°F to Benton County's 19 nights. Walla Walla County, WA, 80 km east, gets 14 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County, WA | - | 103 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
| Franklin County, WA | 58 km northeast | 115 nights | 19 nights | 26°F |
| Walla Walla County, WA | 80 km east | 83 nights | 14 nights | 30°F |
| Morrow County, OR | 89 km south | 107 nights | 18 nights | 28°F |
| Umatilla County, OR | 93 km southeast | 103 nights | 18 nights | 28°F |
| Yakima County, WA | 97 km west | 134 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Klickitat County, WA | 105 km west | 157 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
Benton County within WA
Benton County ranks 20 of 39 WA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Ferry County, WA at 62 nights, with a 18°F average winter low. The fewest is Island County, WA: 1 night, winter lows near 37°F. At 1,474 ft, Benton County sits 146 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,620 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 Prosser, WA, 19 km away (fair match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. How a county figure is built from stations: how the numbers are made.