Will Pipes Freeze in Klickitat County, WA? 30 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Klickitat County
In a normal year Klickitat County, WA gets 30 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 46% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs October to March, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 157 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 30 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 30 nights of risk to 6 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 09/25, last around 05/19. For 20°F: 11/03 to 03/11.
How cold Klickitat County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°F overnight. 10 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, November, December: 6 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 25°F | 29°F | 32°F | 39°F | 44°F | 49°F | 48°F | 41°F | 33°F | 28°F | 24°F |
Klickitat County next to its neighbours
Sherman County, OR, 53 km south, gets 22 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klickitat County, WA | - | 157 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Sherman County, OR | 53 km south | 130 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Yakima County, WA | 65 km north | 134 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Gilliam County, OR | 67 km southeast | 127 nights | 23 nights | 26°F |
| Hood River County, OR | 79 km southwest | 140 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Wasco County, OR | 84 km south | 130 nights | 19 nights | 26°F |
| Skamania County, WA | 92 km west | 145 nights | 21 nights | 27°F |
Klickitat County within WA
Klickitat County ranks 11 of 39 WA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Ferry County, WA at 62 nights, with a 18°F average winter low. The fewest is Island County, WA: 1 night, winter lows near 37°F. At 2,041 ft, Klickitat County sits 421 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,620 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 Goldendale, WA, 9 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.