Will Pipes Freeze in Grady County, OK? 19 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Grady County
In a normal year Grady County, OK gets 19 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 36% 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 | 86 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 19 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 4 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 19 nights of risk to 4 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 11/01, last around 04/06. For 20°F: 11/29 to 02/28.
How cold Grady County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 29°F; the coldest month, January, averages 27°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, February, December: 4 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27°F | 30°F | 39°F | 48°F | 58°F | 67°F | 71°F | 70°F | 61°F | 49°F | 38°F | 29°F |
Grady County next to its neighbours
Garvin County, OK, 63 km southeast, gets 20 nights below 20°F to Grady County's 19 nights. McClain County, OK, 40 km east, gets 17 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grady County, OK | - | 86 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
| McClain County, OK | 40 km east | 77 nights | 17 nights | 27°F |
| Caddo County, OK | 48 km west | 85 nights | 18 nights | 27°F |
| Cleveland County, OK | 55 km east | 76 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Canadian County, OK | 59 km north | 80 nights | 20 nights | 25°F |
| Stephens County, OK | 60 km south | 67 nights | 13 nights | 29°F |
| Garvin County, OK | 63 km southeast | 80 nights | 20 nights | 28°F |
Grady County within OK
Grady County ranks 38 of 77 OK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Beaver County, OK at 55 nights, with a 21°F average winter low. The fewest is Choctaw County, OK: 7 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 1,077 ft, Grady County sits 69 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,009 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 Chickasha Mesonet (2 mi SSE), OK, 3 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.