Will Pipes Freeze in Jefferson County, OH? 41 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Jefferson County
In a normal year Jefferson County, OH gets 41 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 57% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. 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 | 115 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 41 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 13 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 41 nights of risk to 13 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 10/20, last around 04/29. For 20°F: 11/22 to 03/28.
How cold Jefferson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 20°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: 13 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 22°F | 29°F | 39°F | 50°F | 59°F | 63°F | 61°F | 55°F | 43°F | 33°F | 26°F |
Jefferson County next to its neighbours
Harrison County, OH, 30 km southwest, gets 49 nights below 20°F to Jefferson County's 41 nights. Hancock County, WV, 21 km northeast, gets 39 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, OH | - | 115 nights | 41 nights | 20°F |
| Hancock County, WV | 21 km northeast | 116 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Brooke County, WV | 21 km southeast | 111 nights | 38 nights | 21°F |
| Harrison County, OH | 30 km southwest | 124 nights | 49 nights | 20°F |
| Carroll County, OH | 34 km northwest | 133 nights | 53 nights | 19°F |
| Ohio County, WV | 35 km south | 108 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Columbiana County, OH | 41 km north | 134 nights | 52 nights | 19°F |
Jefferson County within OH
Jefferson County ranks 62 of 88 OH counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Williams County, OH at 61 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Scioto County, OH: 28 nights, winter lows near 24°F. At 1,178 ft, Jefferson County sits 262 ft above the state's median county elevation of 916 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.
Interior pipes have a threshold too: the four freeze points.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Steubenville, OH, 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.