Will Pipes Freeze in Kootenai County, ID? 29 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Kootenai County
In a normal year Kootenai County, ID gets 29 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 45% 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 | 139 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 29 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 7 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 29 nights of risk to 7 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 10/18, last around 04/22. For 20°F: 11/26 to 03/01.
How cold Kootenai County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, December, averages 25°F overnight. 9 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 7 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 26°F | 30°F | 35°F | 42°F | 48°F | 55°F | 53°F | 46°F | 37°F | 30°F | 25°F |
Kootenai County next to its neighbours
Benewah County, ID, 51 km south, gets 32 nights below 20°F to Kootenai County's 29 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kootenai County, ID | - | 139 nights | 29 nights | 25°F |
| Benewah County, ID | 51 km south | 151 nights | 32 nights | 24°F |
| Spokane County, WA | 53 km west | 135 nights | 31 nights | 25°F |
| Shoshone County, ID | 71 km southeast | 172 nights | 50 nights | 22°F |
| Bonner County, ID | 72 km north | 172 nights | 42 nights | 23°F |
| Latah County, ID | 95 km south | 143 nights | 29 nights | 25°F |
| Pend Oreille County, WA | 104 km north | 175 nights | 43 nights | 23°F |
Kootenai County within ID
Kootenai County ranks 41 of 44 ID counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Custer County, ID at 145 nights, with a 5°F average winter low. The fewest is Nez Perce County, ID: 20 nights, winter lows near 27°F. At 2,950 ft, Kootenai County sits 1,696 ft below the state's median county elevation of 4,646 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 Coeur D'alene, ID, 8 km away (fair 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.