Will Pipes Freeze in Harrison County, WV? 35 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Harrison County
In a normal year Harrison County, WV gets 35 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 51% 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 | 115 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 35 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 35 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 10/23, last around 04/22. For 20°F: 11/25 to 03/18.
How cold Harrison County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 23°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: 10 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23°F | 25°F | 31°F | 41°F | 51°F | 59°F | 64°F | 62°F | 55°F | 43°F | 34°F | 28°F |
Harrison County next to its neighbours
Doddridge County, WV, 28 km west, gets 43 nights below 20°F to Harrison County's 35 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison County, WV | - | 115 nights | 35 nights | 23°F |
| Doddridge County, WV | 28 km west | 129 nights | 43 nights | 21°F |
| Marion County, WV | 28 km northeast | 122 nights | 41 nights | 22°F |
| Taylor County, WV | 30 km east | 123 nights | 40 nights | 22°F |
| Lewis County, WV | 34 km south | 127 nights | 44 nights | 22°F |
| Barbour County, WV | 37 km southeast | 141 nights | 53 nights | 20°F |
| Wetzel County, WV | 41 km northwest | 142 nights | 52 nights | 19°F |
Harrison County within WV
Harrison County ranks 39 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 1,374 ft, Harrison County sits 161 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,213 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.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Clarksburg 1, WV, 3 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.