Will Pipes Freeze in Nye County, NV? 55 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Nye County
In a normal year Nye County, NV gets 55 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 68% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 153 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 55 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 15 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 55 nights of risk to 15 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 09/30, last around 05/10. For 20°F: 11/01 to 03/27.
How cold Nye County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 21°F; the coldest month, December, averages 18°F overnight. 9 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, November, December: 15 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 24°F | 29°F | 35°F | 43°F | 52°F | 58°F | 56°F | 47°F | 36°F | 26°F | 18°F |
Nye County next to its neighbours
White Pine County, NV, 211 km northeast, gets 107 nights below 20°F to Nye County's 55 nights. Esmeralda County, NV, 105 km west, gets 54 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nye County, NV | - | 153 nights | 55 nights | 20°F |
| Esmeralda County, NV | 105 km west | 136 nights | 54 nights | 19°F |
| Lincoln County, NV | 145 km east | 153 nights | 54 nights | 21°F |
| Inyo County, CA | 177 km southwest | 82 nights | 8 nights | 28°F |
| Mineral County, NV | 182 km west | 115 nights | 28 nights | 26°F |
| White Pine County, NV | 211 km northeast | 215 nights | 107 nights | 12°F |
| Mono County, CA | 212 km west | 255 nights | 130 nights | 13°F |
Nye County within NV
Nye County ranks 8 of 17 NV counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Elko County, NV at 108 nights, with a 13°F average winter low. The fewest is Clark County, NV: none, winter lows near 39°F. At 9,240 ft, Nye County sits 3,498 ft above the state's median county elevation of 5,741 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 Twin Spring Fallini, NV, 36 km away (distant 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.