Will Pipes Freeze in Judith Basin County, MT? 90 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Judith Basin County
In a normal year Judith Basin County, MT gets 90 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 87% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to May, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 196 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 90 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 46 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 23 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 90 nights of risk to 46 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 09/04, last around 06/15. For 20°F: 10/09 to 04/30.
How cold Judith Basin County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 14°F; the coldest month, February, averages 14°F overnight. 11 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, April, October, November, December: 46 nights a year, and 23 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15°F | 14°F | 21°F | 27°F | 35°F | 42°F | 47°F | 47°F | 39°F | 30°F | 22°F | 15°F |
Judith Basin County next to its neighbours
Meagher County, MT, 68 km southwest, gets 95 nights below 20°F to Judith Basin County's 90 nights. Fergus County, MT, 84 km east, gets 88 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judith Basin County, MT | - | 196 nights | 90 nights | 15°F |
| Meagher County, MT | 68 km southwest | 204 nights | 95 nights | 13°F |
| Wheatland County, MT | 69 km southeast | 191 nights | 90 nights | 13°F |
| Fergus County, MT | 84 km east | 184 nights | 88 nights | 14°F |
| Cascade County, MT | 85 km west | 158 nights | 69 nights | 16°F |
| Chouteau County, MT | 95 km north | 182 nights | 97 nights | 8°F |
| Golden Valley County, MT | 113 km southeast | 181 nights | 87 nights | 14°F |
Judith Basin County within MT
Judith Basin County ranks 33 of 56 MT counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Sheridan County, MT at 129 nights, with a 2°F average winter low. The fewest is Lake County, MT: 40 nights, winter lows near 22°F. At 5,226 ft, Judith Basin County sits 1,304 ft above the state's median county elevation of 3,922 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.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Lewistown (42 mi WSW), MT, 17 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.