Will Pipes Freeze in Delaware County, PA? 15 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Delaware County
In a normal year Delaware County, PA gets 15 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 32% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 74 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 15 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 15 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 11/16, last around 03/30. For 20°F: 12/28 to 03/01.
How cold Delaware County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, January, averages 26°F overnight. 6 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February: 2 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26°F | 27°F | 34°F | 44°F | 54°F | 64°F | 69°F | 68°F | 60°F | 49°F | 39°F | 31°F |
Delaware County next to its neighbours
Philadelphia County, PA, 25 km northeast, gets 18 nights below 20°F to Delaware County's 15 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County, PA | - | 74 nights | 15 nights | 26°F |
| Philadelphia County, PA | 25 km northeast | 77 nights | 18 nights | 27°F |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 31 km southeast | 99 nights | 24 nights | 25°F |
| Chester County, PA | 31 km west | 119 nights | 39 nights | 22°F |
| Montgomery County, PA | 33 km north | 130 nights | 47 nights | 21°F |
| Salem County, NJ | 38 km south | 94 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Camden County, NJ | 39 km east | 104 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
Delaware County within PA
Delaware County ranks 67 of 67 PA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Susquehanna County, PA at 80 nights, with a 15°F average winter low. At 228 ft, Delaware County sits 913 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,141 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 Marcus Hook, PA, 11 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.