Will Pipes Freeze in Cottle County, TX? 13 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Cottle County
In a normal year Cottle County, TX gets 13 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 29% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 72 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 13 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 13 nights of risk to 2 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 11/07, last around 03/30. For 20°F: 12/09 to 02/19.
How cold Cottle County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 29°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 February, December: 2 nights a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 31°F | 39°F | 47°F | 57°F | 66°F | 70°F | 69°F | 61°F | 49°F | 38°F | 29°F |
Cottle County next to its neighbours
Foard County, TX, 45 km east, gets 14 nights below 20°F to Cottle County's 13 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottle County, TX | - | 72 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Foard County, TX | 45 km east | 76 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Motley County, TX | 48 km west | 72 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Childress County, TX | 49 km north | 75 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Hall County, TX | 49 km northwest | 79 nights | 14 nights | 27°F |
| King County, TX | 53 km south | 86 nights | 17 nights | 27°F |
| Hardeman County, TX | 54 km northeast | 78 nights | 14 nights | 27°F |
Cottle County within TX
Cottle County ranks 49 of 254 TX counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Lipscomb County, TX at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Cameron County, TX: none, winter lows near 54°F. At 2,000 ft, Cottle County sits 1,008 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Paducah, TX, 10 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.