Will Pipes Freeze in Lake County, MI? 81 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Lake County
In a normal year Lake County, MI gets 81 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 82% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 171 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 81 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 38 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 15 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 81 nights of risk to 38 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 05/28. For 20°F: 11/04 to 04/23.
How cold Lake County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 14°F; the coldest month, February, averages 12°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, April, November, December: 38 nights a year, and 15 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12°F | 12°F | 19°F | 30°F | 42°F | 52°F | 56°F | 54°F | 47°F | 36°F | 27°F | 19°F |
Lake County next to its neighbours
Osceola County, MI, 39 km east, gets 84 nights below 20°F to Lake County's 81 nights. Newaygo County, MI, 48 km south, gets 72 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, MI | - | 171 nights | 81 nights | 12°F |
| Osceola County, MI | 39 km east | 175 nights | 84 nights | 11°F |
| Wexford County, MI | 42 km northeast | 174 nights | 84 nights | 12°F |
| Newaygo County, MI | 48 km south | 160 nights | 72 nights | 14°F |
| Manistee County, MI | 50 km northwest | 141 nights | 55 nights | 18°F |
| Mason County, MI | 51 km west | 149 nights | 58 nights | 17°F |
| Mecosta County, MI | 55 km southeast | 165 nights | 75 nights | 13°F |
Lake County within MI
Lake County ranks 29 of 83 MI counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Iron County, MI at 120 nights, with a 3°F average winter low. The fewest is Allegan County, MI: 38 nights, winter lows near 24°F. At 1,013 ft, Lake County sits 206 ft above the state's median county elevation of 808 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Wellston (1 mi N), MI, 29 km away (fair 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.