Will Pipes Freeze in Chautauqua County, KS? 34 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Chautauqua County
In a normal year Chautauqua County, KS gets 34 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 50% 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 | 104 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 34 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 9 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 34 nights of risk to 9 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 10/27, last around 04/09. For 20°F: 11/26 to 03/05.
How cold Chautauqua County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, January, averages 22°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, March, December: 9 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22°F | 25°F | 34°F | 44°F | 55°F | 64°F | 69°F | 67°F | 58°F | 46°F | 34°F | 25°F |
Chautauqua County next to its neighbours
Elk County, KS, 34 km north, gets 42 nights below 20°F to Chautauqua County's 34 nights. Montgomery County, KS, 45 km east, gets 29 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua County, KS | - | 104 nights | 34 nights | 22°F |
| Elk County, KS | 34 km north | 114 nights | 42 nights | 20°F |
| Montgomery County, KS | 45 km east | 97 nights | 29 nights | 23°F |
| Cowley County, KS | 53 km west | 107 nights | 38 nights | 21°F |
| Washington County, OK | 58 km southeast | 101 nights | 33 nights | 22°F |
| Osage County, OK | 61 km south | 90 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
| Wilson County, KS | 63 km northeast | 109 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
Chautauqua County within KS
Chautauqua County ranks 99 of 105 KS counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rawlins County, KS at 83 nights, with a 16°F average winter low. The fewest is Cherokee County, KS: 27 nights, winter lows near 26°F. At 953 ft, Chautauqua County sits 572 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,526 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 Sedan, KS, 6 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.