Will Pipes Freeze in Monroe County, IN? 38 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Monroe County
In a normal year Monroe County, IN gets 38 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 54% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 109 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 38 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 13 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 38 nights of risk to 13 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 10/26, last around 04/15. For 20°F: 11/28 to 03/14.
How cold Monroe County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°F overnight. 7 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 13 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 23°F | 32°F | 42°F | 53°F | 62°F | 65°F | 63°F | 56°F | 44°F | 34°F | 26°F |
Monroe County next to its neighbours
Brown County, IN, 26 km east, gets 39 nights below 20°F to Monroe County's 38 nights. Greene County, IN, 43 km west, gets 34 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, IN | - | 109 nights | 38 nights | 21°F |
| Brown County, IN | 26 km east | 114 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Owen County, IN | 32 km northwest | 124 nights | 45 nights | 21°F |
| Lawrence County, IN | 36 km south | 112 nights | 40 nights | 21°F |
| Morgan County, IN | 36 km north | 123 nights | 44 nights | 19°F |
| Greene County, IN | 43 km west | 102 nights | 34 nights | 22°F |
| Jackson County, IN | 50 km southeast | 115 nights | 37 nights | 22°F |
Monroe County within IN
Monroe County ranks 66 of 92 IN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Steuben County, IN at 63 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Floyd County, IN: 19 nights, winter lows near 29°F. At 800 ft, Monroe County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 759 ft.
What to do here
- Insulate every pipe in unheated space before the season starts.
- Heat tape on the runs you cannot insulate well.
- Shut off and drain outdoor spigots for the season.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Bloomington Indiana Univ, IN, 2 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.