Will Pipes Freeze in Knox County, TX? 8 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Knox County
In a normal year Knox County, TX gets 8 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 23% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 61 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 8 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 8 nights of risk to under 1 night. 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 11/11, last around 03/26. For 20°F: 12/20 to 02/12.
How cold Knox County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 30°F overnight. 7 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30°F | 34°F | 41°F | 49°F | 60°F | 69°F | 72°F | 71°F | 64°F | 52°F | 40°F | 32°F |
Knox County next to its neighbours
Foard County, TX, 40 km north, gets 14 nights below 20°F to Knox County's 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, TX | - | 61 nights | 8 nights | 30°F |
| Foard County, TX | 40 km north | 76 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| King County, TX | 48 km west | 86 nights | 17 nights | 27°F |
| Baylor County, TX | 48 km east | 67 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
| Haskell County, TX | 48 km south | 63 nights | 8 nights | 29°F |
| Stonewall County, TX | 68 km southwest | 73 nights | 12 nights | 29°F |
| Throckmorton County, TX | 69 km southeast | 71 nights | 11 nights | 29°F |
Knox County within TX
Knox County ranks 89 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 1,446 ft, Knox County sits 454 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 ft.
What to do here
- Keep a night-of routine: drip, open cabinets, keep the heat at 55F or above.
- Foam-sleeve any pipe in the garage or crawlspace once; it is cheap and lasts years.
Few hard nights means pipes are rarely built for them; see freezes in warm places.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Munday, TX, 21 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.