Will Pipes Freeze in Deaf Smith County, TX? 36 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Deaf Smith County
In a normal year Deaf Smith County, TX gets 36 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 52% 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 | 120 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 36 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 36 nights of risk to 6 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 10/25, last around 04/17. For 20°F: 11/23 to 03/08.
How cold Deaf Smith County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, January, averages 22°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, December: 6 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22°F | 25°F | 32°F | 39°F | 50°F | 60°F | 64°F | 63°F | 55°F | 43°F | 31°F | 24°F |
Deaf Smith County next to its neighbours
Oldham County, TX, 51 km north, gets 41 nights below 20°F to Deaf Smith County's 36 nights. Parmer County, TX, 48 km south, gets 35 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaf Smith County, TX | - | 120 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Parmer County, TX | 48 km south | 118 nights | 35 nights | 23°F |
| Oldham County, TX | 51 km north | 123 nights | 41 nights | 21°F |
| Castro County, TX | 55 km southeast | 130 nights | 43 nights | 22°F |
| Randall County, TX | 65 km east | 107 nights | 30 nights | 23°F |
| Curry County, NM | 79 km southwest | 112 nights | 30 nights | 23°F |
| Potter County, TX | 82 km northeast | 115 nights | 33 nights | 23°F |
Deaf Smith County within TX
Deaf Smith County ranks 13 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 4,125 ft, Deaf Smith County sits 3,132 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.
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 Hereford, TX, 23 km away (fair 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.