Will Pipes Freeze in Hughes County, OK? 16 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Hughes County
In a normal year Hughes County, OK gets 16 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 33% 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 | 72 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 16 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 3 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 16 nights of risk to 3 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 11/05, last around 03/29. For 20°F: 12/11 to 02/20.
How cold Hughes County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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, December: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 31°F | 40°F | 48°F | 59°F | 67°F | 71°F | 69°F | 62°F | 50°F | 39°F | 31°F |
Hughes County next to its neighbours
Seminole County, OK, 34 km west, gets 18 nights below 20°F to Hughes County's 16 nights. Okfuskee County, OK, 47 km north, gets 10 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hughes County, OK | - | 72 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Seminole County, OK | 34 km west | 77 nights | 18 nights | 27°F |
| Okfuskee County, OK | 47 km north | 52 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
| Pittsburg County, OK | 48 km east | 66 nights | 13 nights | 30°F |
| Coal County, OK | 52 km south | 72 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Pontotoc County, OK | 55 km southwest | 71 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
| McIntosh County, OK | 63 km northeast | 81 nights | 20 nights | 27°F |
Hughes County within OK
Hughes County ranks 52 of 77 OK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Beaver County, OK at 55 nights, with a 21°F average winter low. The fewest is Choctaw County, OK: 7 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 874 ft, Hughes County sits 135 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,009 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 Holdenville Mesonet (3 mi ESE), OK, 10 km away (close 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.