Will Pipes Freeze in Doña Ana County, NM? 8 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Doña Ana County
In a normal year Doña Ana County, NM gets 8 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 24% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs November to February, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 75 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 8 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 8 nights of risk to under 1 night. 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 11/13, last around 03/12. For 20°F: 12/22 to 01/12.
How cold Doña Ana County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 29°F overnight. 7 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 33°F | 38°F | 45°F | 53°F | 63°F | 69°F | 67°F | 61°F | 48°F | 36°F | 29°F |
Doña Ana County next to its neighbours
Luna County, NM, 88 km west, gets 14 nights below 20°F to Doña Ana County's 8 nights. El Paso County, TX, 86 km southeast, gets 3 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doña Ana County, NM | - | 75 nights | 8 nights | 29°F |
| El Paso County, TX | 86 km southeast | 45 nights | 3 nights | 34°F |
| Luna County, NM | 88 km west | 90 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Sierra County, NM | 92 km north | 72 nights | 6 nights | 30°F |
| Otero County, NM | 106 km east | 114 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Grant County, NM | 151 km west | 117 nights | 24 nights | 28°F |
| Hudspeth County, TX | 170 km southeast | 99 nights | 19 nights | 25°F |
Doña Ana County within NM
Doña Ana County ranks 32 of 33 NM counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rio Arriba County, NM at 118 nights, with a 11°F average winter low. The fewest is Sierra County, NM: 6 nights, winter lows near 31°F. At 3,908 ft, Doña Ana County sits 1,696 ft below the state's median county elevation of 5,604 ft.
What to do here
- Keep a night-of routine: drip, open cabinets, keep the heat at 55F or above.
- Foam-sleeve any pipe in the garage or crawlspace once; it is cheap and lasts years.
Which pipe gets which threshold: the 32, 20, 10 and 0 rule.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is State Univ, NM, 10 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.