Will Pipes Freeze in Polk County, TX? 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Polk County
In a normal year Polk County, TX gets 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 7% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs January to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 36 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 1 night of risk to none. 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 11/24, last around 03/01. For 20°F: 01/09 to 01/24.
How cold Polk County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 42°F; the coldest month, January, averages 40°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40°F | 43°F | 51°F | 56°F | 66°F | 72°F | 75°F | 74°F | 68°F | 58°F | 48°F | 42°F |
Polk County next to its neighbours
Liberty County, TX, 70 km south, gets under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, TX | - | 36 nights | 1 night | 40°F |
| San Jacinto County, TX | 39 km southwest | 31 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| Tyler County, TX | 44 km east | 31 nights | 1 night | 38°F |
| Trinity County, TX | 46 km northwest | 27 nights | 1 night | 38°F |
| Angelina County, TX | 56 km north | 33 nights | 1 night | 37°F |
| Hardin County, TX | 66 km southeast | 25 nights | under 1 night | 40°F |
| Liberty County, TX | 70 km south | 15 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
Polk County within TX
Polk County ranks 193 of 254 TX counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Lipscomb County, TX at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Cameron County, TX: none, winter lows near 54°F. At 317 ft, Polk County sits 676 ft below the state's median county elevation of 992 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 Livingston (2 mi NNE), TX, 10 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.