Will Pipes Freeze in Cotton County, OK? 13 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Cotton County
In a normal year Cotton County, OK 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 30% 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 | 73 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 | under 1 night |
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 11/05, last around 04/01. For 20°F: 12/08 to 02/25.
How cold Cotton 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: 2 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 | 72°F | 71°F | 63°F | 51°F | 39°F | 30°F |
Cotton County next to its neighbours
Comanche County, OK, 42 km north, gets 12 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton County, OK | - | 73 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Comanche County, OK | 42 km north | 70 nights | 12 nights | 28°F |
| Wichita County, TX | 46 km southwest | 62 nights | 9 nights | 30°F |
| Stephens County, OK | 52 km northeast | 67 nights | 13 nights | 29°F |
| Tillman County, OK | 52 km west | 67 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
| Jefferson County, OK | 53 km southeast | 62 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| Clay County, TX | 58 km south | 70 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
Cotton County within OK
Cotton County ranks 65 of 77 OK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Beaver County, OK at 55 nights, with a 21°F average winter low. The fewest is Choctaw County, OK: 7 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 1,012 ft, Cotton County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 1,009 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 Walters, OK, 10 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.