Will Pipes Freeze in Macomb County, MI? 52 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Macomb County
In a normal year Macomb County, MI gets 52 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 66% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. 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 | 130 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 52 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 19 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 5 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 52 nights of risk to 19 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 10/24, last around 04/30. For 20°F: 11/24 to 03/27.
How cold Macomb County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 20°F; the coldest month, January, averages 18°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: 19 nights a year, and 5 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18°F | 18°F | 26°F | 36°F | 47°F | 57°F | 62°F | 61°F | 53°F | 42°F | 32°F | 24°F |
Macomb County next to its neighbours
St. Clair County, MI, 35 km northeast, gets 59 nights below 20°F to Macomb County's 52 nights. Wayne County, MI, 52 km southwest, gets 51 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macomb County, MI | - | 130 nights | 52 nights | 18°F |
| St. Clair County, MI | 35 km northeast | 141 nights | 59 nights | 17°F |
| Oakland County, MI | 39 km west | 137 nights | 57 nights | 16°F |
| Wayne County, MI | 52 km southwest | 131 nights | 51 nights | 18°F |
| Lapeer County, MI | 53 km northwest | 145 nights | 62 nights | 15°F |
| Genesee County, MI | 76 km northwest | 147 nights | 62 nights | 16°F |
| Livingston County, MI | 82 km west | 154 nights | 73 nights | 14°F |
Macomb County within MI
Macomb County ranks 75 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 605 ft, Macomb County sits 203 ft below 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.
Interior pipes have a threshold too: the four freeze points.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Mount Clemens Ang Base, MI, 10 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.