Will Pipes Freeze in Gonzales County, TX? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Gonzales County
In a normal year Gonzales County, TX gets under 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 6% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs January to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 19 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | under 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from under 1 night of risk to none. 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 11/28, last around 02/26. For 20°F: 01/03 to 01/10.
How cold Gonzales County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 42°F; the coldest month, January, averages 40°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40°F | 44°F | 51°F | 57°F | 66°F | 72°F | 74°F | 74°F | 69°F | 59°F | 49°F | 42°F |
Gonzales County next to its neighbours
Caldwell County, TX, 43 km north, gets 1 night below 20°F to Gonzales County's under 1 night. Karnes County, TX, 71 km southwest, gets under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzales County, TX | - | 19 nights | under 1 night | 40°F |
| Caldwell County, TX | 43 km north | 30 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| DeWitt County, TX | 44 km south | 21 nights | under 1 night | 42°F |
| Guadalupe County, TX | 46 km west | 22 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Lavaca County, TX | 56 km east | 13 nights | under 1 night | 44°F |
| Wilson County, TX | 66 km southwest | 25 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| Karnes County, TX | 71 km southwest | 11 nights | under 1 night | 42°F |
Gonzales County within TX
Gonzales County ranks 207 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 293 ft, Gonzales County sits 699 ft below the state's median county elevation of 992 ft.
What to do here
- Watch the forecast for a sub-threshold night.
- That night: drip the faucet on an outside wall, open the sink cabinet.
A few nights a year catches houses that were never built for it: pipes in places that rarely freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Gonzales (2 mi S), TX, 5 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.