Will Pipes Freeze in Edwards County, IL? 29 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Edwards County
In a normal year Edwards County, IL gets 29 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 45% 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 | 92 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 29 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 9 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 29 nights of risk to 9 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 10/28, last around 04/04. For 20°F: 11/28 to 03/06.
How cold Edwards County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°F; the coldest month, January, averages 23°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: 9 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23°F | 27°F | 36°F | 46°F | 57°F | 65°F | 68°F | 66°F | 59°F | 47°F | 36°F | 27°F |
Edwards County next to its neighbours
Wabash County, IL, 18 km east, gets 35 nights below 20°F to Edwards County's 29 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edwards County, IL | - | 92 nights | 29 nights | 23°F |
| Wabash County, IL | 18 km east | 105 nights | 35 nights | 24°F |
| Richland County, IL | 33 km north | 105 nights | 36 nights | 21°F |
| Wayne County, IL | 34 km west | 100 nights | 32 nights | 24°F |
| White County, IL | 38 km south | 103 nights | 32 nights | 21°F |
| Gibson County, IN | 42 km east | 101 nights | 32 nights | 21°F |
| Lawrence County, IL | 43 km northeast | 98 nights | 31 nights | 21°F |
Edwards County within IL
Edwards County ranks 88 of 102 IL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Jo Daviess County, IL at 76 nights, with a 14°F average winter low. The fewest is Alexander County, IL: 21 nights, winter lows near 29°F. At 449 ft, Edwards County sits 183 ft below the state's median county elevation of 632 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 Albion, IL, 4 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.