Will Pipes Freeze in Carson County, TX? 39 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Carson County
In a normal year Carson County, TX gets 39 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 54% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. 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 | 121 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 39 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 7 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 39 nights of risk to 7 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 10/29, last around 04/15. For 20°F: 11/24 to 03/07.
How cold Carson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°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, February, December: 7 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 27°F | 34°F | 42°F | 52°F | 62°F | 66°F | 65°F | 57°F | 45°F | 33°F | 25°F |
Carson County next to its neighbours
Hutchinson County, TX, 48 km north, gets 22 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson County, TX | - | 121 nights | 39 nights | 24°F |
| Hutchinson County, TX | 48 km north | 91 nights | 22 nights | 26°F |
| Potter County, TX | 49 km west | 115 nights | 33 nights | 23°F |
| Armstrong County, TX | 49 km south | 116 nights | 36 nights | 23°F |
| Gray County, TX | 49 km east | 103 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Roberts County, TX | 67 km northeast | 113 nights | 35 nights | 23°F |
| Moore County, TX | 68 km northwest | 123 nights | 37 nights | 22°F |
Carson County within TX
Carson County ranks 11 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 3,451 ft, Carson County sits 2,459 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Panhandle, TX, 7 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.