Will Pipes Freeze in Josephine County, OR? 4 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Josephine County
In a normal year Josephine County, OR gets 4 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 14% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs November to February, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 79 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 4 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 4 nights of risk to under 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 10/12, last around 05/01. For 20°F: 12/14 to 01/05.
How cold Josephine County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 33°F; the coldest month, January, averages 33°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33°F | 33°F | 35°F | 38°F | 43°F | 48°F | 53°F | 51°F | 46°F | 39°F | 36°F | 33°F |
Josephine County next to its neighbours
Jackson County, OR, 74 km east, gets 8 nights below 20°F to Josephine County's 4 nights. Curry County, OR, 53 km west, gets under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josephine County, OR | - | 79 nights | 4 nights | 33°F |
| Curry County, OR | 53 km west | 28 nights | under 1 night | 38°F |
| Jackson County, OR | 74 km east | 103 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Del Norte County, CA | 78 km southwest | 40 nights | 1 night | 37°F |
| Coos County, OR | 99 km northwest | 38 nights | under 1 night | 37°F |
| Douglas County, OR | 106 km north | 57 nights | 2 nights | 35°F |
| Siskiyou County, CA | 124 km southeast | 139 nights | 26 nights | 27°F |
Josephine County within OR
Josephine County ranks 23 of 36 OR counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Baker County, OR at 76 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Lincoln County, OR: under 1 night, winter lows near 40°F. At 2,005 ft, Josephine County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 2,017 ft.
What to do here
- Keep a night-of routine: drip, open cabinets, keep the heat at 55F or above.
- Foam-sleeve any pipe in the garage or crawlspace once; it is cheap and lasts years.
Which pipe gets which threshold: the 32, 20, 10 and 0 rule.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Cave Junction (1 mi WNW), OR, 26 km away (fair 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.