Will Pipes Freeze in Coos County, OR? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Coos County
In a normal year Coos 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. The risk season runs December to December, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 38 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 11/06, last around 03/28. For 20°F: 12/16 to 12/19.
How cold Coos County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 37°F; the coldest month, December, averages 37°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37°F | 38°F | 39°F | 41°F | 45°F | 48°F | 52°F | 51°F | 48°F | 43°F | 40°F | 37°F |
Coos County next to its neighbours
Douglas County, OR, 77 km east, gets 2 nights below 20°F to Coos County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coos County, OR | - | 38 nights | under 1 night | 37°F |
| Douglas County, OR | 77 km east | 57 nights | 2 nights | 35°F |
| Curry County, OR | 81 km south | 28 nights | under 1 night | 38°F |
| Josephine County, OR | 99 km southeast | 79 nights | 4 nights | 33°F |
| Lane County, OR | 127 km northeast | 46 nights | 2 nights | 35°F |
| Jackson County, OR | 144 km southeast | 103 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Benton County, OR | 155 km north | 80 nights | 5 nights | 29°F |
Coos County within OR
Coos County ranks 34 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 111 ft, Coos County sits 1,906 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 Coquille City, OR, 9 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.