Will Pipes Freeze in Dakota County, MN? 88 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Dakota County
In a normal year Dakota County, MN gets 88 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 87% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 155 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 88 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 53 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 28 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 88 nights of risk to 53 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 10/05, last around 05/02. For 20°F: 11/04 to 04/04.
How cold Dakota County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 9°F; the coldest month, January, averages 5°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, November, December: 53 nights a year, and 28 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5°F | 9°F | 22°F | 35°F | 47°F | 58°F | 62°F | 59°F | 51°F | 38°F | 25°F | 12°F |
Dakota County next to its neighbours
Scott County, MN, 37 km west, gets 92 nights below 20°F to Dakota County's 88 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota County, MN | - | 155 nights | 88 nights | 5°F |
| Scott County, MN | 37 km west | 160 nights | 92 nights | 5°F |
| Ramsey County, MN | 38 km north | 155 nights | 90 nights | 7°F |
| Rice County, MN | 40 km southwest | 167 nights | 94 nights | 5°F |
| Goodhue County, MN | 40 km southeast | 164 nights | 92 nights | 4°F |
| Washington County, MN | 43 km north | 158 nights | 94 nights | 6°F |
| Hennepin County, MN | 49 km northwest | 156 nights | 88 nights | 7°F |
Dakota County within MN
Dakota County ranks 83 of 87 MN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is St. Louis County, MN at 130 nights, with a 0°F average winter low. The fewest is Winona County, MN: 81 nights, winter lows near 12°F. At 860 ft, Dakota County sits 255 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,114 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Rosemount Rsch & Outreach Ctr, MN, 6 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.