Will Pipes Freeze in Hamilton County, OH? 33 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Hamilton County
In a normal year Hamilton County, OH gets 33 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 49% 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 | 104 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 33 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 10 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 33 nights of risk to 10 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 04/17. For 20°F: 11/29 to 03/15.
How cold Hamilton County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 22°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, March, December: 10 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22°F | 25°F | 32°F | 43°F | 53°F | 62°F | 65°F | 64°F | 56°F | 45°F | 35°F | 27°F |
Hamilton County next to its neighbours
Butler County, OH, 27 km north, gets 40 nights below 20°F to Hamilton County's 33 nights. Kenton County, KY, 30 km south, gets 31 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, OH | - | 104 nights | 33 nights | 22°F |
| Butler County, OH | 27 km north | 115 nights | 40 nights | 21°F |
| Kenton County, KY | 30 km south | 102 nights | 31 nights | 23°F |
| Campbell County, KY | 31 km southeast | 106 nights | 32 nights | 23°F |
| Boone County, KY | 31 km southwest | 101 nights | 30 nights | 23°F |
| Clermont County, OH | 38 km southeast | 109 nights | 33 nights | 23°F |
| Dearborn County, IN | 38 km west | 123 nights | 43 nights | 20°F |
Hamilton County within OH
Hamilton County ranks 86 of 88 OH counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Williams County, OH at 61 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Scioto County, OH: 28 nights, winter lows near 24°F. At 887 ft, Hamilton County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 916 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 Cheviot, OH, 8 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.