Will Pipes Freeze in Montgomery County, KS? 29 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Montgomery County
In a normal year Montgomery County, KS gets 29 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 44% 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 | 97 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 29 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 7 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 29 nights of risk to 7 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 10/31, last around 04/05. For 20°F: 11/30 to 03/02.
How cold Montgomery County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 23°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: 7 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23°F | 26°F | 36°F | 45°F | 56°F | 65°F | 70°F | 68°F | 59°F | 47°F | 35°F | 27°F |
Montgomery County next to its neighbours
Labette County, KS, 39 km east, gets 36 nights below 20°F to Montgomery County's 29 nights. Nowata County, OK, 46 km south, gets 24 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, KS | - | 97 nights | 29 nights | 23°F |
| Labette County, KS | 39 km east | 105 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Wilson County, KS | 41 km north | 109 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Chautauqua County, KS | 45 km west | 104 nights | 34 nights | 22°F |
| Nowata County, OK | 46 km south | 84 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
| Elk County, KS | 53 km northwest | 114 nights | 42 nights | 20°F |
| Washington County, OK | 56 km south | 101 nights | 33 nights | 22°F |
Montgomery County within KS
Montgomery County ranks 104 of 105 KS counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rawlins County, KS at 83 nights, with a 16°F average winter low. The fewest is Cherokee County, KS: 27 nights, winter lows near 26°F. At 824 ft, Montgomery County sits 702 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,526 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 Independence, KS, 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.