Will Pipes Freeze in Hampshire County, WV? 46 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Hampshire County
In a normal year Hampshire County, WV gets 46 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 61% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. 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 | 134 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 46 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 11 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 46 nights of risk to 11 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 10/18, last around 04/26. For 20°F: 11/17 to 03/19.
How cold Hampshire County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 22°F; the coldest month, January, averages 20°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, February, March, December: 11 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 22°F | 29°F | 38°F | 48°F | 57°F | 61°F | 59°F | 52°F | 40°F | 31°F | 24°F |
Hampshire County next to its neighbours
Hardy County, WV, 39 km southwest, gets 54 nights below 20°F to Hampshire County's 46 nights. Mineral County, WV, 31 km west, gets 41 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire County, WV | - | 134 nights | 46 nights | 20°F |
| Mineral County, WV | 31 km west | 128 nights | 41 nights | 21°F |
| Frederick County, VA | 32 km east | 114 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Allegany County, MD | 34 km north | 114 nights | 33 nights | 22°F |
| Hardy County, WV | 39 km southwest | 138 nights | 54 nights | 19°F |
| Winchester city, VA | 41 km east | 106 nights | 32 nights | 23°F |
| Morgan County, WV | 41 km northeast | 121 nights | 39 nights | 21°F |
Hampshire County within WV
Hampshire County ranks 14 of 55 WV counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Tucker County, WV at 70 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Mingo County, WV: 25 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 1,213 ft, Hampshire County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 1,213 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
Interior pipes have a threshold too: the four freeze points.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Romney (1 mi SW), WV, 14 km away (fair 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.