Will Pipes Freeze in Delaware County, IN? 46 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Delaware County
In a normal year Delaware County, IN gets 46 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 61% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. 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 | 119 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 46 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 18 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 6 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 46 nights of risk to 18 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 04/16. For 20°F: 12/01 to 03/14.
How cold Delaware County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°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: 18 nights a year, and 6 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 24°F | 33°F | 43°F | 54°F | 64°F | 66°F | 63°F | 56°F | 45°F | 36°F | 27°F |
Delaware County next to its neighbours
Henry County, IN, 33 km south, gets 51 nights below 20°F to Delaware County's 46 nights. Madison County, IN, 28 km west, gets 42 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County, IN | - | 119 nights | 46 nights | 21°F |
| Blackford County, IN | 28 km north | 117 nights | 46 nights | 19°F |
| Madison County, IN | 28 km west | 115 nights | 42 nights | 20°F |
| Henry County, IN | 33 km south | 132 nights | 51 nights | 17°F |
| Randolph County, IN | 34 km east | 125 nights | 50 nights | 18°F |
| Grant County, IN | 39 km northwest | 126 nights | 48 nights | 18°F |
| Jay County, IN | 41 km northeast | 132 nights | 52 nights | 17°F |
Delaware County within IN
Delaware County ranks 40 of 92 IN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Steuben County, IN at 63 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Floyd County, IN: 19 nights, winter lows near 29°F. At 940 ft, Delaware County sits 181 ft above the state's median county elevation of 759 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 Muncie Delaware County Airport, IN, 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.