Will Pipes Freeze in Chaves County, NM? 29 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Chaves County
In a normal year Chaves County, NM gets 29 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 45% 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 | 107 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 29 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 3 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 29 nights of risk to 3 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 04/13. For 20°F: 11/25 to 02/25.
How cold Chaves County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°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: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 29°F | 36°F | 43°F | 53°F | 63°F | 67°F | 66°F | 58°F | 45°F | 33°F | 25°F |
Chaves County next to its neighbours
Lincoln County, NM, 100 km northwest, gets 40 nights below 20°F to Chaves County's 29 nights. Eddy County, NM, 102 km south, gets 10 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaves County, NM | - | 107 nights | 29 nights | 24°F |
| Lincoln County, NM | 100 km northwest | 137 nights | 40 nights | 24°F |
| Eddy County, NM | 102 km south | 75 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
| De Baca County, NM | 111 km north | 115 nights | 35 nights | 24°F |
| Lea County, NM | 117 km southeast | 68 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
| Roosevelt County, NM | 117 km northeast | 109 nights | 32 nights | 24°F |
| Otero County, NM | 145 km southwest | 114 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
Chaves County within NM
Chaves County ranks 25 of 33 NM counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rio Arriba County, NM at 118 nights, with a 11°F average winter low. The fewest is Sierra County, NM: 6 nights, winter lows near 31°F. At 3,552 ft, Chaves County sits 2,052 ft below the state's median county elevation of 5,604 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 Roswell Climat, NM, 7 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.