Will Pipes Freeze in Dawson County, TX? 16 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Dawson County
In a normal year Dawson County, TX gets 16 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 33% 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 | 93 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 16 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 16 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 11/04, last around 04/04. For 20°F: 12/05 to 02/20.
How cold Dawson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, January, averages 26°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 none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26°F | 29°F | 36°F | 44°F | 55°F | 64°F | 66°F | 65°F | 58°F | 47°F | 35°F | 27°F |
Dawson County next to its neighbours
Borden County, TX, 48 km east, gets 7 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, TX | - | 93 nights | 16 nights | 26°F |
| Borden County, TX | 48 km east | 56 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| Martin County, TX | 48 km south | 65 nights | 9 nights | 30°F |
| Lynn County, TX | 50 km north | 80 nights | 12 nights | 28°F |
| Terry County, TX | 60 km northwest | 89 nights | 15 nights | 27°F |
| Gaines County, TX | 64 km west | 82 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Howard County, TX | 68 km southeast | 55 nights | 5 nights | 31°F |
Dawson County within TX
Dawson County ranks 36 of 254 TX counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Lipscomb County, TX at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Cameron County, TX: none, winter lows near 54°F. At 2,994 ft, Dawson County sits 2,001 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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 Lamesa (1 mi SSE), TX, 2 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.