Will Pipes Freeze in Golden Valley County, ND? 102 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Golden Valley County
In a normal year Golden Valley County, ND gets 102 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 92% 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 | 185 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 102 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 55 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 31 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 102 nights of risk to 55 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 09/26, last around 05/16. For 20°F: 10/21 to 04/16.
How cold Golden Valley County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 9°F; the coldest month, January, averages 6°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, March, April, October, November, December: 55 nights a year, and 31 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6°F | 10°F | 20°F | 29°F | 40°F | 50°F | 55°F | 54°F | 45°F | 32°F | 20°F | 10°F |
Golden Valley County next to its neighbours
Wibaux County, MT, 33 km west, gets 104 nights below 20°F to Golden Valley County's 102 nights. Slope County, ND, 62 km southeast, gets 100 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Valley County, ND | - | 185 nights | 102 nights | 6°F |
| Wibaux County, MT | 33 km west | 189 nights | 104 nights | 6°F |
| Billings County, ND | 37 km east | 183 nights | 103 nights | 6°F |
| Slope County, ND | 62 km southeast | 182 nights | 100 nights | 7°F |
| Fallon County, MT | 81 km southwest | 185 nights | 103 nights | 7°F |
| Dawson County, MT | 88 km northwest | 175 nights | 94 nights | 8°F |
| Stark County, ND | 91 km east | 192 nights | 112 nights | 5°F |
Golden Valley County within ND
Golden Valley County ranks 52 of 53 ND counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rolette County, ND at 137 nights, with a -3°F average winter low. The fewest is Slope County, ND: 100 nights, winter lows near 10°F. At 2,833 ft, Golden Valley County sits 1,100 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,733 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 Beach, ND, 13 km away (close 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.