Will Pipes Freeze in Jackson County, WI? 98 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Jackson County
In a normal year Jackson County, WI gets 98 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 91% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 176 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 98 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 57 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 32 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 98 nights of risk to 57 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 10/01, last around 05/09. For 20°F: 10/30 to 04/08.
How cold Jackson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 9°F; the coldest month, January, averages 5°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 January, February, March, November, December: 57 nights a year, and 32 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5°F | 8°F | 20°F | 32°F | 44°F | 55°F | 58°F | 56°F | 48°F | 36°F | 24°F | 13°F |
Jackson County next to its neighbours
Clark County, WI, 48 km north, gets 100 nights below 20°F to Jackson County's 98 nights. Monroe County, WI, 45 km south, gets 87 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, WI | - | 176 nights | 98 nights | 5°F |
| Monroe County, WI | 45 km south | 165 nights | 87 nights | 7°F |
| Trempealeau County, WI | 45 km west | 172 nights | 96 nights | 5°F |
| Clark County, WI | 48 km north | 175 nights | 100 nights | 4°F |
| La Crosse County, WI | 53 km southwest | 141 nights | 72 nights | 10°F |
| Eau Claire County, WI | 59 km northwest | 163 nights | 93 nights | 5°F |
| Wood County, WI | 62 km east | 165 nights | 91 nights | 6°F |
Jackson County within WI
Jackson County ranks 21 of 72 WI counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Vilas County, WI at 116 nights, with a 4°F average winter low. The fewest is Racine County, WI: 55 nights, winter lows near 19°F. At 857 ft, Jackson County sits 138 ft below the state's median county elevation of 995 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 Blair, WI, 35 km away (fair 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.