Will Pipes Freeze in Bergen County, NJ? 30 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Bergen County
In a normal year Bergen County, NJ gets 30 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 45% 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 | 101 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 30 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 30 nights of risk to 6 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 11/04, last around 04/03. For 20°F: 12/17 to 03/02.
How cold Bergen County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°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: 6 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 25°F | 33°F | 42°F | 52°F | 62°F | 67°F | 66°F | 58°F | 46°F | 37°F | 29°F |
Bergen County next to its neighbours
Passaic County, NJ, 21 km northwest, gets 45 nights below 20°F to Bergen County's 30 nights. New York County, NY, 22 km southeast, gets 17 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen County, NJ | - | 101 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Passaic County, NJ | 21 km northwest | 121 nights | 45 nights | 20°F |
| Rockland County, NY | 22 km north | 120 nights | 43 nights | 18°F |
| New York County, NY | 22 km southeast | 68 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Bronx County, NY | 22 km southeast | 66 nights | 16 nights | 27°F |
| Essex County, NJ | 24 km southwest | 117 nights | 38 nights | 22°F |
| Hudson County, NJ | 25 km south | 80 nights | 20 nights | 26°F |
Bergen County within NJ
Bergen County ranks 13 of 21 NJ counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Sussex County, NJ at 58 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Hudson County, NJ: 20 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 53 ft, Bergen County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 89 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 Teterboro Airport, NJ, 12 km away (close 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.