Will Pipes Freeze in Johnston County, OK? 13 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Johnston County
In a normal year Johnston County, OK gets 13 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 29% 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 | 68 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 13 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 13 nights of risk to 2 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 11/05, last around 03/29. For 20°F: 12/11 to 02/17.
How cold Johnston County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 30°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: 2 nights a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30°F | 34°F | 42°F | 50°F | 59°F | 68°F | 71°F | 70°F | 63°F | 51°F | 40°F | 32°F |
Johnston County next to its neighbours
Murray County, OK, 43 km northwest, gets 18 nights below 20°F to Johnston County's 13 nights. Marshall County, OK, 34 km south, gets 10 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston County, OK | - | 68 nights | 13 nights | 30°F |
| Marshall County, OK | 34 km south | 62 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
| Murray County, OK | 43 km northwest | 75 nights | 18 nights | 28°F |
| Coal County, OK | 45 km northeast | 72 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Pontotoc County, OK | 45 km north | 71 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
| Bryan County, OK | 53 km southeast | 57 nights | 9 nights | 32°F |
| Atoka County, OK | 57 km east | 71 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
Johnston County within OK
Johnston County ranks 68 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 817 ft, Johnston County sits 192 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.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Tishomingo Mesonet (6 mi N), OK, 3 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. How a county figure is built from stations: how the numbers are made.