Will Pipes Freeze in Crawford County, KS? 31 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Crawford County
In a normal year Crawford County, KS gets 31 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 47% 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 | 97 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 31 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 10 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 31 nights of risk to 10 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 11/01, last around 04/04. For 20°F: 11/30 to 03/03.
How cold Crawford County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 22°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: 10 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22°F | 26°F | 36°F | 45°F | 56°F | 65°F | 69°F | 68°F | 59°F | 47°F | 35°F | 27°F |
Crawford County next to its neighbours
Bourbon County, KS, 39 km north, gets 37 nights below 20°F to Crawford County's 31 nights. Cherokee County, KS, 37 km south, gets 27 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County, KS | - | 97 nights | 31 nights | 22°F |
| Cherokee County, KS | 37 km south | 95 nights | 27 nights | 23°F |
| Bourbon County, KS | 39 km north | 107 nights | 37 nights | 21°F |
| Neosho County, KS | 41 km west | 102 nights | 33 nights | 22°F |
| Barton County, MO | 45 km east | 100 nights | 30 nights | 23°F |
| Labette County, KS | 53 km southwest | 105 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Jasper County, MO | 57 km southeast | 93 nights | 27 nights | 24°F |
Crawford County within KS
Crawford County ranks 102 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 969 ft, Crawford County sits 556 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.
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 Girard, KS, 1 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.