Will Pipes Freeze in Galveston County, TX? No Normal Risk Nights
Freeze nights in Galveston County
A normal winter in Galveston County, TX 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 | 2 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 01/07, last around 01/18.
How cold Galveston County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 51°F; the coldest month, January, averages 49°F overnight. 2 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49°F | 52°F | 58°F | 65°F | 72°F | 78°F | 80°F | 80°F | 76°F | 68°F | 59°F | 51°F |
Galveston County next to its neighbours
The six closest counties all sit within a night of Galveston County.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galveston County, TX | - | 2 nights | none | 49°F |
| Brazoria County, TX | 54 km west | 6 nights | none | 47°F |
| Chambers County, TX | 56 km north | 11 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
| Harris County, TX | 85 km northwest | 7 nights | under 1 night | 44°F |
| Fort Bend County, TX | 92 km west | 9 nights | under 1 night | 44°F |
| Jefferson County, TX | 99 km northeast | 9 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
| Liberty County, TX | 103 km north | 15 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
Galveston County within TX
Galveston County ranks 252 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 6 ft, Galveston County sits 987 ft below the state's median county elevation of 992 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 Galveston Scholes Field, TX, 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.