Will Pipes Freeze in Brewster County, TX? 2 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Brewster County
In a normal year Brewster County, TX gets 2 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 9% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs December to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 37 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 2 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 2 nights of risk to under 1 night. 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 11/20, last around 03/05. For 20°F: 12/30 to 01/07.
How cold Brewster County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 35°F; the coldest month, January, averages 34°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34°F | 38°F | 45°F | 53°F | 63°F | 70°F | 72°F | 71°F | 65°F | 54°F | 42°F | 35°F |
Brewster County next to its neighbours
Presidio County, TX, 100 km west, gets 17 nights below 20°F to Brewster County's 2 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewster County, TX | - | 37 nights | 2 nights | 34°F |
| Presidio County, TX | 100 km west | 83 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Pecos County, TX | 119 km northeast | 36 nights | 3 nights | 36°F |
| Terrell County, TX | 123 km northeast | 32 nights | 2 nights | 35°F |
| Jeff Davis County, TX | 128 km northwest | 64 nights | 11 nights | 32°F |
| Reeves County, TX | 172 km north | 68 nights | 7 nights | 30°F |
| Ward County, TX | 190 km north | 67 nights | 9 nights | 29°F |
Brewster County within TX
Brewster County ranks 179 of 254 TX counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Lipscomb County, TX at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Cameron County, TX: none, winter lows near 54°F. At 3,084 ft, Brewster County sits 2,092 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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 Persimmon Gap, TX, 18 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.