Will Pipes Freeze in Caroline County, MD? 19 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Caroline County
In a normal year Caroline County, MD gets 19 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 35% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 87 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 19 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 19 nights of risk to 2 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 10/30, last around 04/11. For 20°F: 12/09 to 03/06.
How cold Caroline County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, January, averages 27°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: 2 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27°F | 28°F | 34°F | 44°F | 53°F | 63°F | 68°F | 66°F | 59°F | 48°F | 38°F | 31°F |
Caroline County next to its neighbours
Kent County, MD, 48 km northwest, gets 21 nights below 20°F to Caroline County's 19 nights. Queen Anne's County, MD, 29 km northwest, gets 16 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline County, MD | - | 87 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 29 km northwest | 79 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Talbot County, MD | 33 km southwest | 69 nights | 12 nights | 29°F |
| Kent County, DE | 38 km northeast | 79 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Sussex County, DE | 48 km southeast | 83 nights | 15 nights | 29°F |
| Kent County, MD | 48 km northwest | 94 nights | 21 nights | 27°F |
| Dorchester County, MD | 53 km south | 77 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
Caroline County within MD
Caroline County ranks 13 of 24 MD counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Garrett County, MD at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Baltimore city, MD: 10 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 37 ft, Caroline County sits 101 ft below the state's median county elevation of 138 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.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Greenwood (2 mi NE), DE, 23 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.