Will Pipes Freeze in Preston County, WV? 49 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Preston County
In a normal year Preston County, WV gets 49 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 64% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 137 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 49 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 17 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 5 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 49 nights of risk to 17 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 10/23, last around 04/28. For 20°F: 11/22 to 03/20.
How cold Preston County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 21°F; the coldest month, January, averages 19°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, March, December: 17 nights a year, and 5 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19°F | 20°F | 27°F | 36°F | 46°F | 55°F | 59°F | 58°F | 51°F | 40°F | 30°F | 24°F |
Preston County next to its neighbours
Garrett County, MD, 35 km east, gets 57 nights below 20°F to Preston County's 49 nights. Taylor County, WV, 36 km southwest, gets 40 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston County, WV | - | 137 nights | 49 nights | 19°F |
| Garrett County, MD | 35 km east | 143 nights | 57 nights | 18°F |
| Taylor County, WV | 36 km southwest | 123 nights | 40 nights | 22°F |
| Monongalia County, WV | 38 km northwest | 106 nights | 31 nights | 23°F |
| Tucker County, WV | 41 km south | 149 nights | 70 nights | 17°F |
| Barbour County, WV | 46 km southwest | 141 nights | 53 nights | 20°F |
| Marion County, WV | 49 km west | 122 nights | 41 nights | 22°F |
Preston County within WV
Preston County ranks 11 of 55 WV counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Tucker County, WV at 70 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Mingo County, WV: 25 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 1,736 ft, Preston County sits 524 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,213 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Rowlesburg 1, WV, 14 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.