Will Pipes Freeze in Grant County, NM? 24 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Grant County
In a normal year Grant County, NM gets 24 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 40% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to March, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 117 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 24 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 24 nights of risk to 2 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 10/26, last around 04/23. For 20°F: 11/27 to 02/27.
How cold Grant County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, December, averages 27°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, December: 2 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 30°F | 34°F | 40°F | 48°F | 58°F | 62°F | 61°F | 55°F | 44°F | 34°F | 27°F |
Grant County next to its neighbours
Greenlee County, AZ, 98 km northwest, gets 50 nights below 20°F to Grant County's 24 nights. Luna County, NM, 85 km southeast, gets 14 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County, NM | - | 117 nights | 24 nights | 28°F |
| Luna County, NM | 85 km southeast | 90 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Greenlee County, AZ | 98 km northwest | 156 nights | 50 nights | 21°F |
| Hidalgo County, NM | 99 km south | 76 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| Sierra County, NM | 119 km east | 72 nights | 6 nights | 30°F |
| Catron County, NM | 130 km north | 217 nights | 111 nights | 14°F |
| Graham County, AZ | 142 km west | 75 nights | 9 nights | 29°F |
Grant County within NM
Grant County ranks 27 of 33 NM counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rio Arriba County, NM at 118 nights, with a 11°F average winter low. The fewest is Sierra County, NM: 6 nights, winter lows near 31°F. At 5,975 ft, Grant County sits 370 ft above the state's median county elevation of 5,604 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is White Signal, NM, 19 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.