Will Pipes Freeze in Jefferson County, NE? 67 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Jefferson County
In a normal year Jefferson County, NE gets 67 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 75% 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 | 144 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 67 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 27 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 10 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 67 nights of risk to 27 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 10/15, last around 04/25. For 20°F: 11/08 to 03/26.
How cold Jefferson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 17°F; the coldest month, January, averages 14°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, November, December: 27 nights a year, and 10 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14°F | 18°F | 28°F | 38°F | 49°F | 60°F | 65°F | 63°F | 53°F | 40°F | 28°F | 18°F |
Jefferson County next to its neighbours
Saline County, NE, 38 km north, gets 69 nights below 20°F to Jefferson County's 67 nights. Washington County, KS, 45 km south, gets 56 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, NE | - | 144 nights | 67 nights | 14°F |
| Saline County, NE | 38 km north | 142 nights | 69 nights | 13°F |
| Thayer County, NE | 39 km west | 145 nights | 68 nights | 15°F |
| Gage County, NE | 40 km east | 144 nights | 69 nights | 14°F |
| Washington County, KS | 45 km south | 131 nights | 56 nights | 15°F |
| Fillmore County, NE | 55 km northwest | 131 nights | 55 nights | 17°F |
| Republic County, KS | 58 km southwest | 133 nights | 57 nights | 16°F |
Jefferson County within NE
Jefferson County ranks 77 of 93 NE counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Sioux County, NE at 114 nights, with a 11°F average winter low. The fewest is Fillmore County, NE: 55 nights, winter lows near 19°F. At 1,454 ft, Jefferson County sits 556 ft below the state's median county elevation of 2,010 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.
At this many nights, foam alone is not the answer: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Fairbury (5 mi S), NE, 12 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.