Will Pipes Freeze in Lake County, MT? 40 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Lake County
In a normal year Lake County, MT gets 40 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 56% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs October to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 145 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 40 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 12 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 40 nights of risk to 12 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 10/05, last around 05/10. For 20°F: 11/07 to 03/16.
How cold Lake County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 22°F; the coldest month, January, averages 22°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, November, December: 12 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22°F | 22°F | 28°F | 34°F | 41°F | 47°F | 53°F | 52°F | 45°F | 36°F | 28°F | 22°F |
Lake County next to its neighbours
Missoula County, MT, 70 km south, gets 72 nights below 20°F to Lake County's 40 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, MT | - | 145 nights | 40 nights | 22°F |
| Missoula County, MT | 70 km south | 189 nights | 72 nights | 16°F |
| Flathead County, MT | 73 km north | 178 nights | 63 nights | 18°F |
| Sanders County, MT | 83 km west | 212 nights | 81 nights | 18°F |
| Mineral County, MT | 95 km southwest | 185 nights | 60 nights | 21°F |
| Powell County, MT | 124 km southeast | 241 nights | 126 nights | 9°F |
| Teton County, MT | 136 km east | 177 nights | 83 nights | 13°F |
Lake County within MT
Lake County ranks 56 of 56 MT counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Sheridan County, MT at 129 nights, with a 2°F average winter low. At 3,215 ft, Lake County sits 707 ft below the state's median county elevation of 3,922 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Polson, MT, 9 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.