Will Pipes Freeze in Foard County, TX? 14 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Foard County
In a normal year Foard County, TX gets 14 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 31% 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 | 76 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 14 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 14 nights of risk to 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 11/04, last around 04/01. For 20°F: 12/09 to 02/18.
How cold Foard County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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, December: 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 31°F | 40°F | 47°F | 59°F | 68°F | 72°F | 71°F | 63°F | 50°F | 38°F | 30°F |
Foard County next to its neighbours
King County, TX, 55 km southwest, gets 17 nights below 20°F to Foard County's 14 nights. Knox County, TX, 40 km south, gets 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foard County, TX | - | 76 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Hardeman County, TX | 37 km north | 78 nights | 14 nights | 27°F |
| Knox County, TX | 40 km south | 61 nights | 8 nights | 30°F |
| Cottle County, TX | 45 km west | 72 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Wilbarger County, TX | 55 km east | 71 nights | 11 nights | 29°F |
| King County, TX | 55 km southwest | 86 nights | 17 nights | 27°F |
| Baylor County, TX | 68 km southeast | 67 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
Foard County within TX
Foard County ranks 40 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 1,621 ft, Foard County sits 629 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Copper Breaks Sp, TX, 18 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.