Will Pipes Freeze in Kent County, TX? 14 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Kent County
In a normal year Kent County, TX gets 14 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 30% 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 | 79 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 14 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 14 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 04/01. For 20°F: 12/08 to 02/17.
How cold Kent County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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: 2 nights a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 31°F | 39°F | 47°F | 58°F | 67°F | 71°F | 70°F | 62°F | 50°F | 38°F | 30°F |
Kent County next to its neighbours
Dickens County, TX, 48 km north, gets 16 nights below 20°F to Kent County's 14 nights. Stonewall County, TX, 48 km east, gets 12 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County, TX | - | 79 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Dickens County, TX | 48 km north | 86 nights | 16 nights | 27°F |
| Stonewall County, TX | 48 km east | 73 nights | 12 nights | 29°F |
| Garza County, TX | 49 km west | 69 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
| Scurry County, TX | 51 km south | 71 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
| Fisher County, TX | 60 km southeast | 55 nights | 7 nights | 33°F |
| Crosby County, TX | 68 km northwest | 89 nights | 18 nights | 26°F |
Kent County within TX
Kent County ranks 44 of 254 TX counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Lipscomb County, TX at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Cameron County, TX: none, winter lows near 54°F. At 2,102 ft, Kent County sits 1,109 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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 Jayton, TX, 20 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.