Will Pipes Freeze in Copper River Census Area, AK? 180 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Copper River Census Area
In a normal year Copper River Census Area, AK gets 180 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 100% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs September to May, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 251 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 180 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 144 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 98 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 180 nights of risk to 144 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 09/01, last around 06/04. For 20°F: 09/30 to 04/25.
How cold Copper River Census Area nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: -7°F; the coldest month, January, averages -11°F overnight. 11 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, April, October, November, December: 144 nights a year, and 98 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -11°F | -4°F | 1°F | 19°F | 32°F | 41°F | 45°F | 41°F | 32°F | 18°F | 1°F | -6°F |
Copper River Census Area next to its neighbours
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK, 207 km north, gets 192 nights below 20°F to Copper River Census Area's 180 nights. Chugach Census Area, AK, 211 km southwest, gets 32 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper River Census Area, AK | - | 251 nights | 180 nights | -11°F |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK | 207 km north | 261 nights | 192 nights | -22°F |
| Chugach Census Area, AK | 211 km southwest | 129 nights | 32 nights | 25°F |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | 291 km west | 221 nights | 133 nights | 5°F |
| Yakutat City and Borough, AK | 293 km southeast | 164 nights | 50 nights | 21°F |
| Anchorage Municipality, AK | 299 km west | 203 nights | 104 nights | 12°F |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK | 320 km northwest | 226 nights | 169 nights | -11°F |
Copper River Census Area within AK
Copper River Census Area ranks 4 of 26 AK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK at 192 nights, with a -19°F average winter low. The fewest is Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK: 10 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 9,764 ft, Copper River Census Area sits 8,943 ft above the state's median county elevation of 822 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 Nabesna, AK, 63 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.