Will Pipes Freeze in Hale County, TX? 26 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Hale County
In a normal year Hale County, TX gets 26 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 42% 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 | 102 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 26 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 26 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 10/29, last around 04/11. For 20°F: 11/27 to 03/02.
How cold Hale County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°F; the coldest month, January, averages 25°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 28°F | 35°F | 43°F | 54°F | 63°F | 67°F | 66°F | 58°F | 46°F | 34°F | 26°F |
Hale County next to its neighbours
Lamb County, TX, 48 km west, gets 29 nights below 20°F to Hale County's 26 nights. Floyd County, TX, 48 km east, gets 22 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hale County, TX | - | 102 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Floyd County, TX | 48 km east | 98 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Lamb County, TX | 48 km west | 112 nights | 29 nights | 24°F |
| Lubbock County, TX | 51 km south | 80 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Swisher County, TX | 51 km north | 119 nights | 36 nights | 23°F |
| Castro County, TX | 65 km northwest | 130 nights | 43 nights | 22°F |
| Crosby County, TX | 70 km southeast | 89 nights | 18 nights | 26°F |
Hale County within TX
Hale County ranks 25 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 3,414 ft, Hale County sits 2,421 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Plainview Wtr Productn, TX, 16 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.