Will Pipes Freeze in Nowata County, OK? 24 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Nowata County
In a normal year Nowata County, OK gets 24 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 40% 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 | 84 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 24 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 5 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 24 nights of risk to 5 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 11/01, last around 04/04. For 20°F: 11/30 to 03/05.
How cold Nowata County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, January, averages 26°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, December: 5 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26°F | 29°F | 38°F | 47°F | 57°F | 67°F | 71°F | 69°F | 60°F | 49°F | 38°F | 29°F |
Nowata County next to its neighbours
Washington County, OK, 28 km west, gets 33 nights below 20°F to Nowata County's 24 nights. Craig County, OK, 37 km east, gets 22 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nowata County, OK | - | 84 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
| Washington County, OK | 28 km west | 101 nights | 33 nights | 22°F |
| Craig County, OK | 37 km east | 82 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Rogers County, OK | 46 km south | 92 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
| Montgomery County, KS | 46 km north | 97 nights | 29 nights | 23°F |
| Labette County, KS | 53 km northeast | 105 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Mayes County, OK | 64 km southeast | 90 nights | 24 nights | 25°F |
Nowata County within OK
Nowata County ranks 24 of 77 OK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Beaver County, OK at 55 nights, with a 21°F average winter low. The fewest is Choctaw County, OK: 7 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 738 ft, Nowata County sits 271 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,009 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Nowata, OK, 11 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.