Will Pipes Freeze in Cowley County, KS? 38 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Cowley County
In a normal year Cowley County, KS gets 38 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 53% 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 | 107 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 38 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 11 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 38 nights of risk to 11 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 10/22, last around 04/16. For 20°F: 11/18 to 03/13.
How cold Cowley County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°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, February, March, December: 11 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 24°F | 34°F | 43°F | 54°F | 64°F | 69°F | 67°F | 58°F | 45°F | 33°F | 24°F |
Cowley County next to its neighbours
Elk County, KS, 58 km northeast, gets 42 nights below 20°F to Cowley County's 38 nights. Chautauqua County, KS, 53 km east, gets 34 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowley County, KS | - | 107 nights | 38 nights | 21°F |
| Chautauqua County, KS | 53 km east | 104 nights | 34 nights | 22°F |
| Kay County, OK | 54 km southwest | 94 nights | 28 nights | 24°F |
| Elk County, KS | 58 km northeast | 114 nights | 42 nights | 20°F |
| Sumner County, KS | 58 km west | 108 nights | 35 nights | 22°F |
| Butler County, KS | 60 km north | 112 nights | 40 nights | 20°F |
| Sedgwick County, KS | 74 km northwest | 106 nights | 33 nights | 22°F |
Cowley County within KS
Cowley County ranks 91 of 105 KS counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rawlins County, KS at 83 nights, with a 16°F average winter low. The fewest is Cherokee County, KS: 27 nights, winter lows near 26°F. At 1,294 ft, Cowley County sits 232 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,526 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 Winfield (3 mi NE), KS, 11 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.