Will Pipes Freeze in Presidio County, TX? 17 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Presidio County
In a normal year Presidio County, TX gets 17 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 34% 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 | 83 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 17 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 17 nights of risk to 1 night. 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 04/14. For 20°F: 11/29 to 02/28.
How cold Presidio County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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 December: 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 32°F | 38°F | 44°F | 53°F | 61°F | 62°F | 62°F | 56°F | 47°F | 36°F | 30°F |
Presidio County next to its neighbours
Hudspeth County, TX, 193 km northwest, gets 19 nights below 20°F to Presidio County's 17 nights. Jeff Davis County, TX, 69 km north, gets 11 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presidio County, TX | - | 83 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Jeff Davis County, TX | 69 km north | 64 nights | 11 nights | 32°F |
| Brewster County, TX | 100 km east | 37 nights | 2 nights | 34°F |
| Reeves County, TX | 154 km north | 68 nights | 7 nights | 30°F |
| Culberson County, TX | 162 km north | 57 nights | 9 nights | 33°F |
| Pecos County, TX | 171 km northeast | 36 nights | 3 nights | 36°F |
| Hudspeth County, TX | 193 km northwest | 99 nights | 19 nights | 25°F |
Presidio County within TX
Presidio County ranks 33 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 4,932 ft, Presidio County sits 3,939 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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 Marfa (3 mi W), TX, 39 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.