Will Pipes Freeze in Emery County, UT? 85 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Emery County
In a normal year Emery County, UT gets 85 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 85% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 171 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 85 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 30 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 7 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 85 nights of risk to 30 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 09/27, last around 05/18. For 20°F: 10/29 to 04/08.
How cold Emery County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 15°F; the coldest month, January, averages 13°F overnight. 9 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, November, December: 30 nights a year, and 7 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13°F | 19°F | 27°F | 33°F | 42°F | 51°F | 57°F | 55°F | 46°F | 35°F | 23°F | 14°F |
Emery County next to its neighbours
Sanpete County, UT, 84 km northwest, gets 87 nights below 20°F to Emery County's 85 nights. Carbon County, UT, 75 km north, gets 52 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emery County, UT | - | 171 nights | 85 nights | 13°F |
| Carbon County, UT | 75 km north | 146 nights | 52 nights | 20°F |
| Sanpete County, UT | 84 km northwest | 188 nights | 87 nights | 11°F |
| Wayne County, UT | 87 km south | 138 nights | 58 nights | 18°F |
| Sevier County, UT | 99 km west | 214 nights | 108 nights | 12°F |
| Grand County, UT | 99 km east | 126 nights | 49 nights | 18°F |
| Piute County, UT | 143 km southwest | 207 nights | 108 nights | 12°F |
Emery County within UT
Emery County ranks 12 of 29 UT counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rich County, UT at 138 nights, with a 6°F average winter low. The fewest is Salt Lake County, UT: 22 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 5,807 ft, Emery County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 5,807 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Castle Dale, UT, 34 km away (fair match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.