Will Pipes Freeze in Otero County, NM? 26 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Otero County
In a normal year Otero County, NM gets 26 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 42% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to March, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 114 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 26 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 4 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 26 nights of risk to 4 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 10/21, last around 04/30. For 20°F: 11/22 to 03/09.
How cold Otero County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°F; the coldest month, January, averages 25°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, December: 4 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 28°F | 32°F | 38°F | 46°F | 55°F | 58°F | 57°F | 51°F | 41°F | 32°F | 25°F |
Otero County next to its neighbours
Lincoln County, NM, 128 km north, gets 40 nights below 20°F to Otero County's 26 nights. El Paso County, TX, 105 km southwest, gets 3 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otero County, NM | - | 114 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| El Paso County, TX | 105 km southwest | 45 nights | 3 nights | 34°F |
| Doña Ana County, NM | 106 km west | 75 nights | 8 nights | 29°F |
| Lincoln County, NM | 128 km north | 137 nights | 40 nights | 24°F |
| Hudspeth County, TX | 134 km south | 99 nights | 19 nights | 25°F |
| Eddy County, NM | 137 km east | 75 nights | 10 nights | 29°F |
| Sierra County, NM | 145 km northwest | 72 nights | 6 nights | 30°F |
Otero County within NM
Otero County ranks 26 of 33 NM counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Rio Arriba County, NM at 118 nights, with a 11°F average winter low. The fewest is Sierra County, NM: 6 nights, winter lows near 31°F. At 6,374 ft, Otero County sits 770 ft above the state's median county elevation of 5,604 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 Mountain Park, NM, 38 km away (fair 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.