Will Pipes Freeze in Madison County, FL? 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Madison County
In a normal year Madison County, FL 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 8% 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 | 24 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 1 night of risk to none. 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 11/29, last around 03/05. For 20°F: 01/09 to 01/19.
How cold Madison County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 42°F; the coldest month, January, averages 40°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40°F | 43°F | 48°F | 55°F | 62°F | 69°F | 71°F | 72°F | 68°F | 58°F | 48°F | 43°F |
Madison County next to its neighbours
Jefferson County, FL, 44 km west, gets under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, FL | - | 24 nights | 1 night | 40°F |
| Brooks County, GA | 43 km north | 30 nights | 1 night | 37°F |
| Jefferson County, FL | 44 km west | 20 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Lowndes County, GA | 47 km northeast | 22 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Hamilton County, FL | 50 km east | 30 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| Suwannee County, FL | 54 km southeast | 20 nights | under 1 night | 44°F |
| Taylor County, FL | 56 km south | 26 nights | 1 night | 42°F |
Madison County within FL
Madison County ranks 8 of 67 FL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Holmes County, FL at 2 nights, with a 40°F average winter low. The fewest is Broward County, FL: none, winter lows near 60°F. At 142 ft, Madison County sits 88 ft above the state's median county elevation of 54 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.
A few nights a year catches houses that were never built for it: pipes 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 Madison, FL, 7 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.