Will Pipes Freeze in Jackson County, OR? 8 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Jackson County
In a normal year Jackson County, OR gets 8 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 23% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs November to February, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 103 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 8 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 8 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 10/03, last around 05/19. For 20°F: 12/07 to 02/07.
How cold Jackson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°F; the coldest month, December, averages 30°F overnight. 9 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in December: under 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31°F | 31°F | 34°F | 37°F | 42°F | 47°F | 52°F | 51°F | 45°F | 38°F | 34°F | 30°F |
Jackson County next to its neighbours
Klamath County, OR, 90 km east, gets 73 nights below 20°F to Jackson County's 8 nights. Josephine County, OR, 74 km west, gets 4 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, OR | - | 103 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Josephine County, OR | 74 km west | 79 nights | 4 nights | 33°F |
| Klamath County, OR | 90 km east | 222 nights | 73 nights | 18°F |
| Siskiyou County, CA | 92 km south | 139 nights | 26 nights | 27°F |
| Douglas County, OR | 105 km north | 57 nights | 2 nights | 35°F |
| Curry County, OR | 126 km west | 28 nights | under 1 night | 38°F |
| Del Norte County, CA | 130 km southwest | 40 nights | 1 night | 37°F |
Jackson County within OR
Jackson County ranks 19 of 36 OR counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Baker County, OR at 76 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Lincoln County, OR: under 1 night, winter lows near 40°F. At 2,620 ft, Jackson County sits 603 ft above the state's median county elevation of 2,017 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.
Whether foam sleeves are enough here: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Prospect (2 mi SW), OR, 38 km away (fair 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.