Will Pipes Freeze in Labette County, KS? 36 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Labette County
In a normal year Labette County, KS gets 36 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 52% 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 | 105 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 36 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 10 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 36 nights of risk to 10 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 10/24, last around 04/15. For 20°F: 11/21 to 03/08.
How cold Labette County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, January, averages 22°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: 10 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22°F | 25°F | 35°F | 45°F | 55°F | 65°F | 69°F | 67°F | 59°F | 46°F | 35°F | 26°F |
Labette County next to its neighbours
Montgomery County, KS, 39 km west, gets 29 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labette County, KS | - | 105 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Montgomery County, KS | 39 km west | 97 nights | 29 nights | 23°F |
| Cherokee County, KS | 40 km east | 95 nights | 27 nights | 23°F |
| Neosho County, KS | 41 km north | 102 nights | 33 nights | 22°F |
| Craig County, OK | 48 km south | 82 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Crawford County, KS | 53 km northeast | 97 nights | 31 nights | 22°F |
| Nowata County, OK | 53 km southwest | 84 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
Labette County within KS
Labette County ranks 95 of 105 KS counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rawlins County, KS at 83 nights, with a 16°F average winter low. The fewest is Cherokee County, KS: 27 nights, winter lows near 26°F. At 912 ft, Labette County sits 614 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,526 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 Mound Valley (3 mi WSW), KS, 14 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.