Will Pipes Freeze in King County, TX? 17 nights a Year
Freeze nights in King County
In a normal year King County, TX gets 17 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 34% 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 | 86 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 17 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 17 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 11/03, last around 04/04. For 20°F: 12/04 to 02/22.
How cold King County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 29°F; the coldest month, January, averages 27°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 under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27°F | 30°F | 38°F | 46°F | 58°F | 67°F | 71°F | 69°F | 61°F | 49°F | 37°F | 29°F |
King County next to its neighbours
Knox County, TX, 48 km east, gets 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King County, TX | - | 86 nights | 17 nights | 27°F |
| Knox County, TX | 48 km east | 61 nights | 8 nights | 30°F |
| Stonewall County, TX | 48 km south | 73 nights | 12 nights | 29°F |
| Dickens County, TX | 50 km west | 86 nights | 16 nights | 27°F |
| Cottle County, TX | 53 km north | 72 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Foard County, TX | 55 km northeast | 76 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Kent County, TX | 68 km southwest | 79 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
King County within TX
King County ranks 34 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 1,752 ft, King County sits 760 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.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Guthrie, TX, 9 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.