Will Pipes Freeze in Irion County, TX? 13 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Irion County
In a normal year Irion County, TX gets 13 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 30% 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 | 75 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 13 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 13 nights of risk to 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 11/04, last around 04/01. For 20°F: 12/09 to 02/25.
How cold Irion County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°F; the coldest month, January, averages 29°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: 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 33°F | 40°F | 48°F | 58°F | 67°F | 69°F | 69°F | 61°F | 50°F | 38°F | 30°F |
Irion County next to its neighbours
Tom Green County, TX, 50 km east, gets 6 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irion County, TX | - | 75 nights | 13 nights | 29°F |
| Tom Green County, TX | 50 km east | 54 nights | 6 nights | 33°F |
| Reagan County, TX | 51 km west | 65 nights | 9 nights | 31°F |
| Sterling County, TX | 60 km north | 72 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Schleicher County, TX | 63 km southeast | 56 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| Coke County, TX | 72 km northeast | 66 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
| Crockett County, TX | 77 km southwest | 65 nights | 8 nights | 30°F |
Irion County within TX
Irion County ranks 45 of 254 TX counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Lipscomb County, TX at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Cameron County, TX: none, winter lows near 54°F. At 2,379 ft, Irion County sits 1,386 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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 Mertzon (12 mi NNW), TX, 18 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.