Will Pipes Freeze in Niagara County, NY? 51 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Niagara County
In a normal year Niagara County, NY gets 51 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 65% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. 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 | 131 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 51 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 17 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 51 nights of risk to 17 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 10/28, last around 04/29. For 20°F: 12/01 to 03/26.
How cold Niagara County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 21°F; the coldest month, January, averages 18°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 17 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18°F | 19°F | 25°F | 35°F | 46°F | 57°F | 62°F | 61°F | 53°F | 43°F | 33°F | 25°F |
Niagara County next to its neighbours
Orleans County, NY, 50 km east, gets 52 nights below 20°F to Niagara County's 51 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara County, NY | - | 131 nights | 51 nights | 18°F |
| Orleans County, NY | 50 km east | 127 nights | 52 nights | 18°F |
| Erie County, NY | 58 km south | 149 nights | 63 nights | 16°F |
| Genesee County, NY | 59 km southeast | 132 nights | 58 nights | 16°F |
| Wyoming County, NY | 79 km southeast | 157 nights | 78 nights | 13°F |
| Monroe County, NY | 90 km east | 131 nights | 51 nights | 18°F |
| Livingston County, NY | 104 km southeast | 140 nights | 61 nights | 16°F |
Niagara County within NY
Niagara County ranks 52 of 62 NY counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Franklin County, NY at 107 nights, with a 7°F average winter low. The fewest is Bronx County, NY: 16 nights, winter lows near 30°F. At 342 ft, Niagara County sits 546 ft below the state's median county elevation of 888 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 Youngstown (2 mi E), NY, 16 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.