Will Pipes Freeze in Ottawa County, OK? 25 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Ottawa County
In a normal year Ottawa County, OK gets 25 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 41% 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 | 90 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 25 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 25 nights of risk to 6 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 10/27, last around 04/06. For 20°F: 12/01 to 02/28.
How cold Ottawa County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°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: 6 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 29°F | 37°F | 46°F | 55°F | 66°F | 69°F | 68°F | 59°F | 47°F | 37°F | 28°F |
Ottawa County next to its neighbours
Cherokee County, KS, 37 km north, gets 27 nights below 20°F to Ottawa County's 25 nights. Craig County, OK, 36 km west, gets 22 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County, OK | - | 90 nights | 25 nights | 24°F |
| Craig County, OK | 36 km west | 82 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Cherokee County, KS | 37 km north | 95 nights | 27 nights | 23°F |
| Newton County, MO | 42 km east | 100 nights | 33 nights | 24°F |
| McDonald County, MO | 47 km southeast | 100 nights | 30 nights | 25°F |
| Delaware County, OK | 49 km south | 93 nights | 26 nights | 24°F |
| Jasper County, MO | 58 km northeast | 93 nights | 27 nights | 24°F |
Ottawa County within OK
Ottawa County ranks 21 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 774 ft, Ottawa County sits 235 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.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Miami, OK, 9 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.