Will Pipes Freeze in Madera County, CA? 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Madera County
In a normal year Madera County, CA gets 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 7% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs January to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 41 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 1 night of risk to under 1 night. 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 12/03, last around 03/25.
How cold Madera County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 36°F; the coldest month, January, averages 36°F overnight. 6 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 37°F | 40°F | 43°F | 50°F | 57°F | 65°F | 64°F | 59°F | 50°F | 41°F | 36°F |
Madera County next to its neighbours
Mariposa County, CA, 43 km north, gets 5 nights below 20°F to Madera County's 1 night. Fresno County, CA, 51 km south, gets none.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madera County, CA | - | 41 nights | 1 night | 36°F |
| Mariposa County, CA | 43 km north | 94 nights | 5 nights | 31°F |
| Fresno County, CA | 51 km south | 12 nights | none | 39°F |
| Merced County, CA | 86 km west | 33 nights | under 1 night | 37°F |
| Tuolumne County, CA | 92 km north | 91 nights | 11 nights | 31°F |
| Mono County, CA | 110 km northeast | 255 nights | 130 nights | 13°F |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 117 km west | 12 nights | none | 39°F |
Madera County within CA
Madera County ranks 21 of 58 CA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Mono County, CA at 130 nights, with a 13°F average winter low. The fewest is Orange County, CA: none, winter lows near 46°F. At 1,868 ft, Madera County sits 570 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,298 ft.
What to do here
- Watch the forecast for a sub-threshold night.
- That night: drip the faucet on an outside wall, open the sink cabinet.
Why rare cold catches people out - freezes in places that rarely freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Auberry (2 mi NW), CA, 25 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.