Will Pipes Freeze in Ector County, TX? 5 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Ector County
In a normal year Ector County, TX gets 5 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 18% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs December to February, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 53 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 5 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 5 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 11/11, last around 03/19. For 20°F: 12/20 to 01/31.
How cold Ector County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 34°F; the coldest month, January, averages 32°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32°F | 36°F | 44°F | 51°F | 61°F | 69°F | 72°F | 71°F | 64°F | 53°F | 41°F | 33°F |
Ector County next to its neighbours
Winkler County, TX, 49 km west, gets 10 nights below 20°F to Ector County's 5 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ector County, TX | - | 53 nights | 5 nights | 32°F |
| Winkler County, TX | 49 km west | 73 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
| Crane County, TX | 49 km south | 52 nights | 5 nights | 32°F |
| Andrews County, TX | 51 km north | 60 nights | 7 nights | 31°F |
| Midland County, TX | 51 km east | 54 nights | 6 nights | 32°F |
| Ward County, TX | 66 km southwest | 67 nights | 9 nights | 29°F |
| Martin County, TX | 74 km northeast | 65 nights | 9 nights | 30°F |
Ector County within TX
Ector County ranks 119 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 3,017 ft, Ector County sits 2,025 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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.
Whether foam sleeves are enough here: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Odessa Schlemeyer Field, TX, 16 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.