Will Pipes Freeze in McKean County, PA? 72 nights a Year
Freeze nights in McKean County
In a normal year McKean County, PA gets 72 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 78% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 161 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 72 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 32 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 11 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 72 nights of risk to 32 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 10/01, last around 05/18. For 20°F: 11/13 to 04/06.
How cold McKean County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 18°F; the coldest month, January, averages 15°F overnight. 9 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, November, December: 32 nights a year, and 11 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15°F | 16°F | 23°F | 33°F | 43°F | 51°F | 55°F | 54°F | 48°F | 38°F | 30°F | 21°F |
McKean County next to its neighbours
Elk County, PA, 44 km south, gets 74 nights below 20°F to McKean County's 72 nights. Cameron County, PA, 52 km southeast, gets 65 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKean County, PA | - | 161 nights | 72 nights | 15°F |
| Elk County, PA | 44 km south | 164 nights | 74 nights | 14°F |
| Cattaraugus County, NY | 48 km north | 171 nights | 81 nights | 13°F |
| Cameron County, PA | 52 km southeast | 156 nights | 65 nights | 15°F |
| Potter County, PA | 57 km east | 164 nights | 76 nights | 14°F |
| Warren County, PA | 60 km west | 165 nights | 73 nights | 14°F |
| Forest County, PA | 65 km southwest | 163 nights | 69 nights | 15°F |
McKean County within PA
McKean County ranks 6 of 67 PA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Susquehanna County, PA at 80 nights, with a 15°F average winter low. The fewest is Delaware County, PA: 15 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 2,110 ft, McKean County sits 969 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,141 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.
At this many nights, foam alone is not the answer: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Bradford Regional Airport, PA, 6 km away (close 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.