Will Pipes Freeze in Lake County, OH? 35 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Lake County
In a normal year Lake County, OH gets 35 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 51% 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 | 35 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 9 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 35 nights of risk to 9 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 11/09, last around 04/15. For 20°F: 12/16 to 03/13.
How cold Lake County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 23°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, March, December: 9 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23°F | 23°F | 30°F | 40°F | 51°F | 61°F | 66°F | 65°F | 59°F | 48°F | 38°F | 30°F |
Lake County next to its neighbours
Geauga County, OH, 31 km south, gets 55 nights below 20°F to Lake County's 35 nights. Cuyahoga County, OH, 42 km southwest, gets 30 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, OH | - | 105 nights | 35 nights | 23°F |
| Geauga County, OH | 31 km south | 138 nights | 55 nights | 17°F |
| Ashtabula County, OH | 40 km east | 132 nights | 51 nights | 18°F |
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 42 km southwest | 93 nights | 30 nights | 23°F |
| Trumbull County, OH | 63 km southeast | 133 nights | 47 nights | 18°F |
| Portage County, OH | 68 km south | 128 nights | 48 nights | 17°F |
| Summit County, OH | 78 km south | 127 nights | 48 nights | 19°F |
Lake County within OH
Lake County ranks 82 of 88 OH counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Williams County, OH at 61 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Scioto County, OH: 28 nights, winter lows near 24°F. At 643 ft, Lake County sits 273 ft below the state's median county elevation of 916 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 Painesville (4 mi NW), OH, 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.