Will Pipes Freeze in Indiana County, PA? 51 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Indiana County
In a normal year Indiana County, PA gets 51 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 65% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 137 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 51 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 18 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 5 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 51 nights of risk to 18 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 10/13, last around 05/08. For 20°F: 11/15 to 04/03.
How cold Indiana County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 20°F; the coldest month, January, averages 17°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: 18 nights a year, and 5 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17°F | 18°F | 25°F | 35°F | 46°F | 54°F | 59°F | 57°F | 51°F | 40°F | 30°F | 24°F |
Indiana County next to its neighbours
Cambria County, PA, 36 km southeast, gets 63 nights below 20°F to Indiana County's 51 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana County, PA | - | 137 nights | 51 nights | 17°F |
| Cambria County, PA | 36 km southeast | 154 nights | 63 nights | 16°F |
| Armstrong County, PA | 36 km northwest | 140 nights | 54 nights | 18°F |
| Westmoreland County, PA | 50 km southwest | 137 nights | 53 nights | 19°F |
| Jefferson County, PA | 54 km north | 147 nights | 62 nights | 16°F |
| Clearfield County, PA | 65 km northeast | 146 nights | 59 nights | 17°F |
| Clarion County, PA | 67 km northwest | 157 nights | 64 nights | 15°F |
Indiana County within PA
Indiana County ranks 34 of 67 PA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Susquehanna County, PA at 80 nights, with a 15°F average winter low. The fewest is Delaware County, PA: 15 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 1,473 ft, Indiana County sits 332 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,141 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 Indiana (3 mi SE), PA, 7 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.