Will Pipes Freeze in Orleans Parish, LA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Orleans Parish
In a normal year Orleans Parish, LA gets under 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 3% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 4 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | under 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 01/05, last around 01/22.
How cold Orleans Parish nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 48°F; the coldest month, January, averages 46°F overnight. 2 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46°F | 49°F | 55°F | 62°F | 70°F | 76°F | 77°F | 78°F | 74°F | 65°F | 55°F | 48°F |
Orleans Parish next to its neighbours
Hancock County, MS, 57 km northeast, gets 1 night below 20°F to Orleans Parish's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans Parish, LA | - | 4 nights | under 1 night | 46°F |
| St. Tammany Parish, LA | 40 km north | 24 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| St. Charles Parish, LA | 44 km west | 6 nights | under 1 night | 46°F |
| St. John the Baptist Parish, LA | 54 km west | 13 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
| Hancock County, MS | 57 km northeast | 26 nights | 1 night | 40°F |
| Jefferson Parish, LA | 62 km south | 8 nights | under 1 night | 45°F |
| St. Bernard Parish, LA | 66 km east | 14 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
Orleans Parish within LA
Orleans Parish ranks 55 of 64 LA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Claiborne Parish, LA at 5 nights, with a 34°F average winter low. The fewest is Plaquemines Parish, LA: none, winter lows near 49°F. At -5 ft, Orleans Parish sits 75 ft below the state's median county elevation of 70 ft.
What to do here
- Watch the forecast for a sub-threshold night.
- That night: drip the faucet on an outside wall, open the sink cabinet.
Why rare cold catches people out - freezes in places that rarely freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is New Orleans Lakefront Airport, LA, 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.