Will Pipes Freeze in Clatsop County, OR? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Clatsop County
In a normal year Clatsop County, OR gets under 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 5% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 30 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | under 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from under 1 night of risk to none. 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 11/18, last around 03/30. For 20°F: 12/23 to 12/26.
How cold Clatsop County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 38°F; the coldest month, February, averages 38°F overnight. 7 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38°F | 38°F | 39°F | 41°F | 46°F | 50°F | 53°F | 54°F | 50°F | 45°F | 41°F | 38°F |
Clatsop County next to its neighbours
Wahkiakum County, WA, 37 km northeast, gets 3 nights below 20°F to Clatsop County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clatsop County, OR | - | 30 nights | under 1 night | 38°F |
| Wahkiakum County, WA | 37 km northeast | 76 nights | 3 nights | 34°F |
| Columbia County, OR | 49 km east | 85 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| Pacific County, WA | 59 km north | 79 nights | 4 nights | 34°F |
| Tillamook County, OR | 63 km south | 34 nights | under 1 night | 38°F |
| Washington County, OR | 70 km southeast | 60 nights | 4 nights | 33°F |
| Cowlitz County, WA | 81 km east | 43 nights | 3 nights | 35°F |
Clatsop County within OR
Clatsop County ranks 33 of 36 OR counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Baker County, OR at 76 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Lincoln County, OR: under 1 night, winter lows near 40°F. At 1,357 ft, Clatsop County sits 660 ft below the state's median county elevation of 2,017 ft.
What to do here
- Watch the forecast for a sub-threshold night.
- That night: drip the faucet on an outside wall, open the sink cabinet.
A few nights a year catches houses that were never built for it: pipes in places that rarely freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Fort Clatsop Natl Memorial, OR, 18 km away (fair 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.