Will Pipes Freeze in Clinton County, MI? 62 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Clinton County
In a normal year Clinton County, MI gets 62 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 73% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 144 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 62 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 26 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 7 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 62 nights of risk to 26 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 10/24, last around 04/28. For 20°F: 11/28 to 03/25.
How cold Clinton County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 20°F; the coldest month, January, averages 18°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 26 nights a year, and 7 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18°F | 19°F | 26°F | 36°F | 48°F | 58°F | 62°F | 61°F | 53°F | 42°F | 33°F | 24°F |
Clinton County next to its neighbours
Shiawassee County, MI, 36 km east, gets 66 nights below 20°F to Clinton County's 62 nights. Ingham County, MI, 42 km southeast, gets 62 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton County, MI | - | 144 nights | 62 nights | 18°F |
| Shiawassee County, MI | 36 km east | 152 nights | 66 nights | 15°F |
| Gratiot County, MI | 38 km north | 156 nights | 70 nights | 15°F |
| Ionia County, MI | 39 km west | 148 nights | 64 nights | 16°F |
| Ingham County, MI | 42 km southeast | 144 nights | 62 nights | 17°F |
| Eaton County, MI | 45 km southwest | 148 nights | 65 nights | 15°F |
| Saginaw County, MI | 60 km northeast | 143 nights | 61 nights | 16°F |
Clinton County within MI
Clinton County ranks 55 of 83 MI counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Iron County, MI at 120 nights, with a 3°F average winter low. The fewest is Allegan County, MI: 38 nights, winter lows near 24°F. At 758 ft, Clinton County sits 50 ft below the state's median county elevation of 808 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.
Interior pipes have a threshold too: the four freeze points.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Saint Johns, MI, 7 km away (close 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.