Will Pipes Freeze in Bristol County, MA? 41 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Bristol County
In a normal year Bristol County, MA gets 41 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 56% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. 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 | 124 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 41 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 11 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 41 nights of risk to 11 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 10/15, last around 04/29. For 20°F: 11/25 to 03/20.
How cold Bristol County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 22°F; the coldest month, January, averages 20°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 11 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 21°F | 28°F | 37°F | 46°F | 55°F | 62°F | 60°F | 53°F | 42°F | 33°F | 26°F |
Bristol County next to its neighbours
Plymouth County, MA, 39 km northeast, gets 44 nights below 20°F to Bristol County's 41 nights. Bristol County, RI, 17 km west, gets 32 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol County, MA | - | 124 nights | 41 nights | 20°F |
| Bristol County, RI | 17 km west | 106 nights | 32 nights | 23°F |
| Newport County, RI | 32 km southwest | 96 nights | 27 nights | 24°F |
| Plymouth County, MA | 39 km northeast | 122 nights | 44 nights | 21°F |
| Kent County, RI | 42 km west | 134 nights | 45 nights | 19°F |
| Providence County, RI | 43 km west | 132 nights | 49 nights | 19°F |
| Norfolk County, MA | 48 km north | 138 nights | 54 nights | 21°F |
Bristol County within MA
Bristol County ranks 10 of 14 MA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Berkshire County, MA at 75 nights, with a 16°F average winter low. The fewest is Nantucket County, MA: 18 nights, winter lows near 29°F. At 147 ft, Bristol County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 153 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 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is New Bedford Municipal Airport, MA, 14 km away (close 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.