Will Pipes Freeze in Hidalgo County, NM? 10 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Hidalgo County
In a normal year Hidalgo County, NM gets 10 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 26% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs November to February, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 76 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 10 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 10 nights of risk to under 1 night. 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 11/07, last around 04/02. For 20°F: 12/15 to 01/26.
How cold Hidalgo County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 31°F overnight. 7 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31°F | 34°F | 39°F | 45°F | 53°F | 62°F | 67°F | 66°F | 60°F | 48°F | 38°F | 31°F |
Hidalgo County next to its neighbours
Grant County, NM, 99 km north, gets 24 nights below 20°F to Hidalgo County's 10 nights. Cochise County, AZ, 97 km west, gets 7 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hidalgo County, NM | - | 76 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| Cochise County, AZ | 97 km west | 73 nights | 7 nights | 30°F |
| Grant County, NM | 99 km north | 117 nights | 24 nights | 28°F |
| Luna County, NM | 100 km east | 90 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Greenlee County, AZ | 156 km north | 156 nights | 50 nights | 21°F |
| Graham County, AZ | 156 km northwest | 75 nights | 9 nights | 29°F |
| Doña Ana County, NM | 187 km east | 75 nights | 8 nights | 29°F |
Hidalgo County within NM
Hidalgo County ranks 31 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 4,691 ft, Hidalgo County sits 914 ft below the state's median county elevation of 5,604 ft.
What to do here
- Keep a night-of routine: drip, open cabinets, keep the heat at 55F or above.
- Foam-sleeve any pipe in the garage or crawlspace once; it is cheap and lasts years.
Few hard nights means pipes are rarely built for them; see freezes in warm places.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Animas (3 mi ESE), NM, 5 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. How a county figure is built from stations: how the numbers are made.