Will Pipes Freeze in Jefferson County, OK? 10 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Jefferson County
In a normal year Jefferson County, OK gets 10 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 26% 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 | 62 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 10 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 10 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 11/05, last around 03/29. For 20°F: 12/05 to 02/17.
How cold Jefferson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 31°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31°F | 34°F | 43°F | 50°F | 60°F | 68°F | 72°F | 71°F | 64°F | 52°F | 41°F | 32°F |
Jefferson County next to its neighbours
Stephens County, OK, 42 km north, gets 13 nights below 20°F to Jefferson County's 10 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, OK | - | 62 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| Stephens County, OK | 42 km north | 67 nights | 13 nights | 29°F |
| Montague County, TX | 49 km south | 63 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Clay County, TX | 49 km southwest | 70 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
| Carter County, OK | 53 km east | 60 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
| Cotton County, OK | 53 km northwest | 73 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Love County, OK | 57 km east | 67 nights | 13 nights | 29°F |
Jefferson County within OK
Jefferson County ranks 72 of 77 OK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Beaver County, OK at 55 nights, with a 21°F average winter low. The fewest is Choctaw County, OK: 7 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 928 ft, Jefferson County sits 81 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,009 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Waurika Mesonet (1 mi ENE), OK, 15 km away (close 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.