Will Pipes Freeze in Madison County, TX? 2 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Madison County
In a normal year Madison County, TX gets 2 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 9% 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 | 35 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 2 nights |
| 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 2 nights 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 11/11, last around 03/16. For 20°F: 12/27 to 01/22.
How cold Madison County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 38°F; the coldest month, January, averages 37°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37°F | 41°F | 47°F | 54°F | 63°F | 69°F | 72°F | 71°F | 65°F | 55°F | 45°F | 38°F |
Madison County next to its neighbours
Leon County, TX, 38 km north, gets 3 nights below 20°F to Madison County's 2 nights. Walker County, TX, 42 km southeast, gets under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, TX | - | 35 nights | 2 nights | 37°F |
| Leon County, TX | 38 km north | 46 nights | 3 nights | 35°F |
| Walker County, TX | 42 km southeast | 19 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Grimes County, TX | 47 km south | 23 nights | 1 night | 40°F |
| Brazos County, TX | 50 km southwest | 18 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Robertson County, TX | 56 km west | 24 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| Houston County, TX | 63 km northeast | 31 nights | 2 nights | 36°F |
Madison County within TX
Madison County ranks 178 of 254 TX counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Lipscomb County, TX at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Cameron County, TX: none, winter lows near 54°F. At 274 ft, Madison County sits 719 ft below the state's median county elevation of 992 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 Madisonville, TX, 3 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.