Will Pipes Freeze in Delaware County, OK? 26 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Delaware County
In a normal year Delaware County, OK gets 26 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 42% 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 | 26 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 5 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 26 nights of risk to 5 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 10/20, last around 04/16. For 20°F: 11/23 to 03/09.
How cold Delaware County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°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: 5 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 28°F | 36°F | 45°F | 54°F | 63°F | 68°F | 67°F | 58°F | 45°F | 36°F | 28°F |
Delaware County next to its neighbours
McDonald County, MO, 49 km northeast, gets 30 nights below 20°F to Delaware County's 26 nights. Mayes County, OK, 40 km west, gets 24 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County, OK | - | 93 nights | 26 nights | 24°F |
| Mayes County, OK | 40 km west | 90 nights | 24 nights | 25°F |
| McDonald County, MO | 49 km northeast | 100 nights | 30 nights | 25°F |
| Ottawa County, OK | 49 km north | 90 nights | 25 nights | 24°F |
| Benton County, AR | 50 km east | 98 nights | 29 nights | 25°F |
| Craig County, OK | 54 km northwest | 82 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Adair County, OK | 57 km south | 77 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
Delaware County within OK
Delaware County ranks 18 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 1,048 ft, Delaware County sits close to 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.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Upper Spavinaw Port, OK, 5 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.