Will Pipes Freeze in Meagher County, MT? 95 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Meagher County
In a normal year Meagher County, MT gets 95 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 90% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to May, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 204 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 95 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 45 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 20 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 95 nights of risk to 45 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 09/11, last around 06/04. For 20°F: 10/13 to 04/25.
How cold Meagher County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 13°F; the coldest month, February, averages 13°F overnight. 11 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, April, October, November, December: 45 nights a year, and 20 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13°F | 13°F | 20°F | 26°F | 34°F | 42°F | 47°F | 46°F | 38°F | 29°F | 20°F | 13°F |
Meagher County next to its neighbours
Jefferson County, MT, 101 km southwest, gets 107 nights below 20°F to Meagher County's 95 nights. Broadwater County, MT, 53 km southwest, gets 83 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meagher County, MT | - | 204 nights | 95 nights | 13°F |
| Broadwater County, MT | 53 km southwest | 174 nights | 83 nights | 14°F |
| Judith Basin County, MT | 68 km northeast | 196 nights | 90 nights | 15°F |
| Wheatland County, MT | 82 km east | 191 nights | 90 nights | 13°F |
| Cascade County, MT | 88 km north | 158 nights | 69 nights | 16°F |
| Jefferson County, MT | 101 km southwest | 214 nights | 107 nights | 10°F |
| Sweet Grass County, MT | 114 km southeast | 153 nights | 63 nights | 20°F |
Meagher County within MT
Meagher County ranks 29 of 56 MT counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Sheridan County, MT at 129 nights, with a 2°F average winter low. The fewest is Lake County, MT: 40 nights, winter lows near 22°F. At 5,431 ft, Meagher County sits 1,509 ft above the state's median county elevation of 3,922 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.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is White Sulphur Springs #2, MT, 5 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.