Will Pipes Freeze in Leelanau County, MI? 61 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Leelanau County
In a normal year Leelanau County, MI gets 61 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 72% 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 | 144 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 61 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 21 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 4 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 61 nights of risk to 21 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 10/26, last around 05/09. For 20°F: 12/01 to 04/02.
How cold Leelanau County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 19°F; the coldest month, February, averages 17°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 21 nights a year, and 4 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18°F | 17°F | 23°F | 33°F | 43°F | 53°F | 59°F | 59°F | 52°F | 42°F | 32°F | 24°F |
Leelanau County next to its neighbours
Grand Traverse County, MI, 62 km southeast, gets 64 nights below 20°F to Leelanau County's 61 nights. Benzie County, MI, 58 km south, gets 57 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leelanau County, MI | - | 144 nights | 61 nights | 18°F |
| Benzie County, MI | 58 km south | 141 nights | 57 nights | 18°F |
| Grand Traverse County, MI | 62 km southeast | 151 nights | 64 nights | 17°F |
| Charlevoix County, MI | 66 km northeast | 151 nights | 67 nights | 15°F |
| Antrim County, MI | 71 km east | 164 nights | 73 nights | 14°F |
| Door County, WI | 78 km west | 154 nights | 77 nights | 12°F |
| Kalkaska County, MI | 92 km southeast | 181 nights | 89 nights | 11°F |
Leelanau County within MI
Leelanau County ranks 61 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 945 ft, Leelanau County sits 137 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 Northport (2 mi W), MI, 32 km away (fair 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.