Will Pipes Freeze in Butte County, CA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Butte County
In a normal year Butte County, CA gets under 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 3% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 22 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | under 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 12/13, last around 01/30.
How cold Butte County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 39°F; the coldest month, January, averages 39°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39°F | 41°F | 44°F | 47°F | 54°F | 59°F | 63°F | 61°F | 57°F | 50°F | 43°F | 39°F |
Butte County next to its neighbours
Glenn County, CA, 69 km west, gets 1 night below 20°F to Butte County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County, CA | - | 22 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Yuba County, CA | 49 km southeast | 33 nights | under 1 night | 37°F |
| Glenn County, CA | 69 km west | 52 nights | 1 night | 35°F |
| Sutter County, CA | 70 km south | 16 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Tehama County, CA | 74 km northwest | 19 nights | under 1 night | 38°F |
| Plumas County, CA | 76 km northeast | 166 nights | 35 nights | 24°F |
| Colusa County, CA | 77 km southwest | 17 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
Butte County within CA
Butte County ranks 33 of 58 CA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Mono County, CA at 130 nights, with a 13°F average winter low. The fewest is Orange County, CA: none, winter lows near 46°F. At 596 ft, Butte County sits 702 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,298 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 Oroville, CA, 17 km away (fair 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.