Will Pipes Freeze in Custer County, OK? 23 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Custer County
In a normal year Custer County, OK gets 23 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 39% 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 | 90 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 23 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 4 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 23 nights of risk to 4 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 10/28, last around 04/13. For 20°F: 11/24 to 03/04.
How cold Custer County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, January, averages 25°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, December: 4 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 29°F | 38°F | 46°F | 57°F | 66°F | 70°F | 69°F | 61°F | 48°F | 36°F | 27°F |
Custer County next to its neighbours
Dewey County, OK, 37 km north, gets 33 nights below 20°F to Custer County's 23 nights. Washita County, OK, 40 km south, gets 19 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County, OK | - | 90 nights | 23 nights | 25°F |
| Dewey County, OK | 37 km north | 105 nights | 33 nights | 23°F |
| Washita County, OK | 40 km south | 82 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
| Blaine County, OK | 57 km northeast | 93 nights | 27 nights | 24°F |
| Roger Mills County, OK | 68 km west | 86 nights | 22 nights | 27°F |
| Beckham County, OK | 75 km southwest | 98 nights | 26 nights | 24°F |
| Caddo County, OK | 77 km southeast | 85 nights | 18 nights | 27°F |
Custer County within OK
Custer County ranks 26 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 1,752 ft, Custer County sits 743 ft above 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 Clinton, OK, 16 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. How a county figure is built from stations: how the numbers are made.