Will Pipes Freeze in Clay County, AR? 15 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Clay County
In a normal year Clay County, AR gets 15 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 31% 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 | 71 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 15 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 15 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 11/04, last around 03/27. For 20°F: 12/16 to 02/21.
How cold Clay County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 31°F | 40°F | 49°F | 59°F | 68°F | 71°F | 69°F | 60°F | 49°F | 39°F | 31°F |
Clay County next to its neighbours
Butler County, MO, 39 km north, gets 19 nights below 20°F to Clay County's 15 nights. Greene County, AR, 30 km southwest, gets 13 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, AR | - | 71 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
| Greene County, AR | 30 km southwest | 66 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Butler County, MO | 39 km north | 83 nights | 19 nights | 26°F |
| Dunklin County, MO | 40 km southeast | 81 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Ripley County, MO | 51 km northwest | 105 nights | 36 nights | 25°F |
| Randolph County, AR | 55 km west | 85 nights | 21 nights | 26°F |
| Pemiscot County, MO | 59 km east | 73 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
Clay County within AR
Clay County ranks 26 of 75 AR counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Benton County, AR at 29 nights, with a 27°F average winter low. The fewest is Miller County, AR: 3 nights, winter lows near 37°F. At 287 ft, Clay County sits 60 ft below the state's median county elevation of 347 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.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Corning, AR, 16 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.