Will Pipes Freeze in Cecil County, MD? 24 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Cecil County
In a normal year Cecil County, MD gets 24 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 40% 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 | 95 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 24 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 5 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 24 nights of risk to 5 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 11/02, last around 04/07. For 20°F: 12/15 to 03/04.
How cold Cecil County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, January, averages 25°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: 5 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 26°F | 33°F | 43°F | 53°F | 63°F | 68°F | 66°F | 59°F | 47°F | 36°F | 30°F |
Cecil County next to its neighbours
Harford County, MD, 31 km west, gets 26 nights below 20°F to Cecil County's 24 nights. New Castle County, DE, 26 km east, gets 22 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cecil County, MD | - | 95 nights | 24 nights | 25°F |
| New Castle County, DE | 26 km east | 93 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Harford County, MD | 31 km west | 98 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Kent County, MD | 39 km southwest | 94 nights | 21 nights | 27°F |
| Chester County, PA | 49 km north | 119 nights | 39 nights | 22°F |
| Salem County, NJ | 50 km east | 94 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 59 km south | 79 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
Cecil County within MD
Cecil County ranks 7 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 70 ft, Cecil County sits 68 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.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Newark Ag Farm, DE, 21 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.