Will Pipes Freeze in Ellis County, OK? 39 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Ellis County
In a normal year Ellis County, OK gets 39 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 54% 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 | 115 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 39 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 8 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 39 nights of risk to 8 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 10/27, last around 04/15. For 20°F: 11/22 to 03/09.
How cold Ellis County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, January, averages 22°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, March, December: 8 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22°F | 25°F | 34°F | 42°F | 53°F | 63°F | 68°F | 66°F | 58°F | 45°F | 33°F | 24°F |
Ellis County next to its neighbours
Lipscomb County, TX, 47 km west, gets 57 nights below 20°F to Ellis County's 39 nights. Woodward County, OK, 48 km northeast, gets 34 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis County, OK | - | 115 nights | 39 nights | 22°F |
| Lipscomb County, TX | 47 km west | 134 nights | 57 nights | 18°F |
| Woodward County, OK | 48 km northeast | 106 nights | 34 nights | 23°F |
| Roger Mills County, OK | 57 km south | 86 nights | 22 nights | 27°F |
| Harper County, OK | 65 km north | 104 nights | 34 nights | 22°F |
| Hemphill County, TX | 66 km southwest | 118 nights | 42 nights | 21°F |
| Dewey County, OK | 72 km east | 105 nights | 33 nights | 23°F |
Ellis County within OK
Ellis County ranks 4 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 2,342 ft, Ellis County sits 1,333 ft above 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.
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 Arnett (3 mi NE), OK, 7 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.