Will Pipes Freeze in Le Flore County, OK? 17 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Le Flore County
In a normal year Le Flore County, OK gets 17 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 34% 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 | 76 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 17 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 17 nights of risk to 2 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 11/02, last around 04/06. For 20°F: 12/07 to 03/01.
How cold Le Flore County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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: 2 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 32°F | 39°F | 47°F | 59°F | 68°F | 71°F | 69°F | 61°F | 50°F | 39°F | 31°F |
Le Flore County next to its neighbours
Sebastian County, AR, 51 km northeast, gets 11 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Flore County, OK | - | 76 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Sebastian County, AR | 51 km northeast | 68 nights | 11 nights | 29°F |
| Latimer County, OK | 53 km west | 70 nights | 15 nights | 30°F |
| Haskell County, OK | 53 km northwest | 66 nights | 13 nights | 30°F |
| Scott County, AR | 58 km east | 81 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Polk County, AR | 62 km southeast | 72 nights | 15 nights | 29°F |
| Sequoyah County, OK | 67 km north | 67 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
Le Flore County within OK
Le Flore County ranks 50 of 77 OK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Beaver County, OK at 55 nights, with a 21°F average winter low. The fewest is Choctaw County, OK: 7 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 575 ft, Le Flore County sits 434 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,009 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 Wister (3 mi S), OK, 5 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.