Will Pipes Freeze in Bethel Census Area, AK? 138 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Bethel Census Area
In a normal year Bethel Census Area, AK gets 138 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 99% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to May, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 214 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 138 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 94 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 58 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 138 nights of risk to 94 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 09/22, last around 05/21. For 20°F: 10/18 to 04/27.
How cold Bethel Census Area nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 4°F; the coldest month, January, averages 1°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, April, October, November, December: 94 nights a year, and 58 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1°F | 7°F | 7°F | 21°F | 34°F | 45°F | 49°F | 47°F | 39°F | 26°F | 13°F | 4°F |
Bethel Census Area next to its neighbours
Nome Census Area, AK, 475 km northwest, gets 154 nights below 20°F to Bethel Census Area's 138 nights. Bristol Bay Borough, AK, 301 km southeast, gets 104 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel Census Area, AK | - | 214 nights | 138 nights | 1°F |
| Bristol Bay Borough, AK | 301 km southeast | 192 nights | 104 nights | 10°F |
| Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK | 378 km southeast | 190 nights | 99 nights | 10°F |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK | 431 km east | 194 nights | 102 nights | 10°F |
| Nome Census Area, AK | 475 km northwest | 231 nights | 154 nights | -2°F |
| Kodiak Island Borough, AK | 503 km southeast | 150 nights | 36 nights | 24°F |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | 582 km east | 221 nights | 133 nights | 5°F |
Bethel Census Area within AK
Bethel Census Area ranks 8 of 26 AK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK at 192 nights, with a -19°F average winter low. The fewest is Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK: 10 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 594 ft, Bethel Census Area sits 227 ft below the state's median county elevation of 822 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 1 nearby station and adjusted for elevation; closest is Bethel Airport, AK, 92 km away (distant 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.