Will Pipes Freeze in Kay County, OK? 28 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Kay County
In a normal year Kay County, OK gets 28 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 44% 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 | 94 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 28 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 5 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 28 nights of risk to 5 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 10/27, last around 04/10. For 20°F: 11/25 to 03/03.
How cold Kay County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°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, February, December: 5 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 27°F | 36°F | 45°F | 56°F | 66°F | 70°F | 69°F | 60°F | 47°F | 35°F | 26°F |
Kay County next to its neighbours
Cowley County, KS, 54 km northeast, gets 38 nights below 20°F to Kay County's 28 nights. Noble County, OK, 49 km south, gets 27 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kay County, OK | - | 94 nights | 28 nights | 24°F |
| Noble County, OK | 49 km south | 90 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
| Cowley County, KS | 54 km northeast | 107 nights | 38 nights | 21°F |
| Sumner County, KS | 56 km northwest | 108 nights | 35 nights | 22°F |
| Grant County, OK | 57 km west | 104 nights | 31 nights | 23°F |
| Pawnee County, OK | 69 km southeast | 87 nights | 26 nights | 26°F |
| Osage County, OK | 69 km east | 90 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
Kay County within OK
Kay County ranks 12 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 1,086 ft, Kay County sits 77 ft above 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 Ponca City Municipal Airport, OK, 10 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.