Will Pipes Freeze in Fresno County, CA? No Normal Risk Nights
Freeze nights in Fresno County
A normal winter in Fresno County, CA never drops to 20°F, the point where bare pipes in unheated space start to freeze.
Risk level: No normal risk nights.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 12 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | none |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 12/11, last around 01/30.
How cold Fresno County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 40°F; the coldest month, December, averages 38°F overnight. 4 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39°F | 42°F | 46°F | 50°F | 56°F | 63°F | 68°F | 67°F | 62°F | 54°F | 44°F | 38°F |
Fresno County next to its neighbours
Madera County, CA, 51 km north, gets 1 night below 20°F to Fresno County's none.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno County, CA | - | 12 nights | none | 39°F |
| Madera County, CA | 51 km north | 41 nights | 1 night | 36°F |
| Kings County, CA | 78 km south | 27 nights | under 1 night | 37°F |
| Mariposa County, CA | 93 km north | 94 nights | 5 nights | 31°F |
| Tulare County, CA | 98 km southeast | 40 nights | 2 nights | 36°F |
| Merced County, CA | 106 km northwest | 33 nights | under 1 night | 37°F |
| San Benito County, CA | 129 km west | 59 nights | 2 nights | 35°F |
Fresno County within CA
Fresno County ranks 49 of 58 CA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Mono County, CA at 130 nights, with a 13°F average winter low. The fewest is Orange County, CA: none, winter lows near 46°F. At 346 ft, Fresno County sits 952 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,298 ft.
What to do here
- Disconnect hoses in a cold snap; no routine prep needed.
Even here, a once-a-decade freeze catches houses built without insulation: why pipes burst in warm places.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Fresno (5 mi NE), CA, 5 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.