Will Pipes Freeze in Harding County, NM? 46 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Harding County
In a normal year Harding County, NM 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 October to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 135 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 46 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 10 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 46 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 10/12, last around 05/03. For 20°F: 11/07 to 04/01.
How cold Harding County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 22°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°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, November, December: 10 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 23°F | 29°F | 36°F | 46°F | 56°F | 61°F | 59°F | 52°F | 40°F | 29°F | 22°F |
Harding County next to its neighbours
Union County, NM, 78 km northeast, gets 66 nights below 20°F to Harding County's 46 nights. Quay County, NM, 88 km south, gets 29 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harding County, NM | - | 135 nights | 46 nights | 21°F |
| Union County, NM | 78 km northeast | 154 nights | 66 nights | 19°F |
| Quay County, NM | 88 km south | 106 nights | 29 nights | 24°F |
| San Miguel County, NM | 96 km southwest | 187 nights | 97 nights | 14°F |
| Mora County, NM | 97 km west | 185 nights | 85 nights | 16°F |
| Colfax County, NM | 110 km northwest | 185 nights | 98 nights | 13°F |
| Hartley County, TX | 112 km east | 141 nights | 54 nights | 20°F |
Harding County within NM
Harding County ranks 16 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 4,897 ft, Harding County sits 707 ft below the state's median county elevation of 5,604 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.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Mosquero (1 mi NE), NM, 10 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.