Will Pipes Freeze in Lafayette Parish, LA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Lafayette Parish
In a normal year Lafayette Parish, LA gets under 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 6% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs January to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 18 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | under 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from under 1 night of risk to none. 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 11/28, last around 02/26. For 20°F: 01/06 to 01/19.
How cold Lafayette Parish nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 43°F; the coldest month, January, averages 41°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41°F | 45°F | 51°F | 57°F | 65°F | 72°F | 73°F | 73°F | 69°F | 59°F | 49°F | 43°F |
Lafayette Parish next to its neighbours
Vermilion Parish, LA, 51 km southwest, gets under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette Parish, LA | - | 18 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Acadia Parish, LA | 35 km west | 16 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| St. Landry Parish, LA | 43 km north | 17 nights | under 1 night | 42°F |
| St. Martin Parish, LA | 45 km east | 15 nights | under 1 night | 42°F |
| Vermilion Parish, LA | 51 km southwest | 10 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Evangeline Parish, LA | 66 km northwest | 19 nights | under 1 night | 40°F |
| Iberville Parish, LA | 67 km east | 21 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
Lafayette Parish within LA
Lafayette Parish ranks 37 of 64 LA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Claiborne Parish, LA at 5 nights, with a 34°F average winter low. The fewest is Plaquemines Parish, LA: none, winter lows near 49°F. At 30 ft, Lafayette Parish sits close to the state's median county elevation of 70 ft.
What to do here
- Watch the forecast for a sub-threshold night.
- That night: drip the faucet on an outside wall, open the sink cabinet.
A few nights a year catches houses that were never built for it: pipes in places that rarely freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Lafayette, LA, 1 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.