Will Pipes Freeze in Lincoln County, MO? 39 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Lincoln County
In a normal year Lincoln County, MO gets 39 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 55% 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 | 108 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 39 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 14 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 4 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 39 nights of risk to 14 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 10/20, last around 04/20. For 20°F: 11/19 to 03/16.
How cold Lincoln County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 20°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: 14 nights a year, and 4 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 23°F | 33°F | 43°F | 53°F | 63°F | 67°F | 65°F | 56°F | 45°F | 34°F | 25°F |
Lincoln County next to its neighbours
Pike County, MO, 36 km northwest, gets 45 nights below 20°F to Lincoln County's 39 nights. St. Charles County, MO, 40 km southeast, gets 37 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, MO | - | 108 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Calhoun County, IL | 28 km northeast | 109 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Pike County, MO | 36 km northwest | 117 nights | 45 nights | 19°F |
| Warren County, MO | 37 km southwest | 112 nights | 41 nights | 20°F |
| St. Charles County, MO | 40 km southeast | 104 nights | 37 nights | 21°F |
| Montgomery County, MO | 46 km west | 114 nights | 42 nights | 19°F |
| Jersey County, IL | 52 km east | 117 nights | 42 nights | 19°F |
Lincoln County within MO
Lincoln County ranks 59 of 115 MO counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Caldwell County, MO at 65 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Pemiscot County, MO: 14 nights, winter lows near 31°F. At 667 ft, Lincoln County sits 175 ft below the state's median county elevation of 842 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.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Elsberry (1 mi S), MO, 19 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. How a county figure is built from stations: how the numbers are made.