Will Pipes Freeze in Montgomery County, OH? 37 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Montgomery County
In a normal year Montgomery County, OH gets 37 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 53% 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 | 107 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 37 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 12 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 37 nights of risk to 12 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 10/25, last around 04/18. For 20°F: 11/27 to 03/17.
How cold Montgomery County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°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: 12 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 24°F | 32°F | 42°F | 53°F | 62°F | 66°F | 64°F | 56°F | 45°F | 34°F | 27°F |
Montgomery County next to its neighbours
Preble County, OH, 30 km west, gets 46 nights below 20°F to Montgomery County's 37 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, OH | - | 107 nights | 37 nights | 21°F |
| Preble County, OH | 30 km west | 126 nights | 46 nights | 17°F |
| Miami County, OH | 34 km north | 114 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Greene County, OH | 35 km east | 106 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Warren County, OH | 38 km south | 110 nights | 37 nights | 22°F |
| Butler County, OH | 42 km southwest | 115 nights | 40 nights | 21°F |
| Clark County, OH | 47 km northeast | 126 nights | 48 nights | 18°F |
Montgomery County within OH
Montgomery County ranks 78 of 88 OH counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Williams County, OH at 61 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Scioto County, OH: 28 nights, winter lows near 24°F. At 992 ft, Montgomery County sits 77 ft above the state's median county elevation of 916 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 Dayton McD, OH, 9 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.