Will Pipes Freeze in Mills County, TX? 4 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Mills County
In a normal year Mills County, TX gets 4 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 16% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs December to February, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 38 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 4 nights |
| 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 4 nights 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 11/11, last around 03/23. For 20°F: 12/23 to 02/06.
How cold Mills County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 35°F; the coldest month, January, averages 33°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33°F | 37°F | 45°F | 53°F | 61°F | 68°F | 71°F | 71°F | 65°F | 55°F | 44°F | 35°F |
Mills County next to its neighbours
Brown County, TX, 49 km northwest, gets 6 nights below 20°F to Mills County's 4 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mills County, TX | - | 38 nights | 4 nights | 33°F |
| San Saba County, TX | 43 km southwest | 50 nights | 5 nights | 33°F |
| Lampasas County, TX | 47 km southeast | 49 nights | 5 nights | 34°F |
| Brown County, TX | 49 km northwest | 55 nights | 6 nights | 32°F |
| Comanche County, TX | 51 km north | 56 nights | 7 nights | 34°F |
| Hamilton County, TX | 51 km northeast | 48 nights | 6 nights | 33°F |
| Coryell County, TX | 76 km east | 42 nights | 5 nights | 36°F |
Mills County within TX
Mills County ranks 139 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 1,564 ft, Mills County sits 572 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 ft.
What to do here
- Keep a night-of routine: drip, open cabinets, keep the heat at 55F or above.
- Foam-sleeve any pipe in the garage or crawlspace once; it is cheap and lasts years.
Which pipe gets which threshold: the 32, 20, 10 and 0 rule.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Goldthwaite (1 mi WSW), TX, 6 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.