Will Pipes Freeze in Chelan County, WA? 60 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Chelan County
In a normal year Chelan County, WA gets 60 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 71% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 185 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 60 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 20 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 5 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 60 nights of risk to 20 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 09/19, last around 05/25. For 20°F: 11/07 to 04/03.
How cold Chelan County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 19°F; the coldest month, January, averages 18°F overnight. 10 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, November, December: 20 nights a year, and 5 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18°F | 20°F | 25°F | 31°F | 38°F | 44°F | 49°F | 49°F | 42°F | 33°F | 25°F | 18°F |
Chelan County next to its neighbours
Douglas County, WA, 70 km east, gets 45 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelan County, WA | - | 185 nights | 60 nights | 18°F |
| Douglas County, WA | 70 km east | 142 nights | 45 nights | 19°F |
| Kittitas County, WA | 82 km south | 148 nights | 35 nights | 23°F |
| Snohomish County, WA | 88 km west | 82 nights | 6 nights | 32°F |
| King County, WA | 100 km southwest | 78 nights | 4 nights | 33°F |
| Okanogan County, WA | 100 km northeast | 166 nights | 57 nights | 18°F |
| Grant County, WA | 112 km southeast | 125 nights | 29 nights | 24°F |
Chelan County within WA
Chelan County ranks 2 of 39 WA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Ferry County, WA at 62 nights, with a 18°F average winter low. The fewest is Island County, WA: 1 night, winter lows near 37°F. At 4,207 ft, Chelan County sits 2,587 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,620 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Holden Village, WA, 39 km away (distant match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.