Will Pipes Freeze in Pueblo County, CO? 76 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Pueblo County
In a normal year Pueblo County, CO gets 76 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 80% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 158 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 76 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 24 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 6 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 76 nights of risk to 24 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 10/09, last around 04/30. For 20°F: 11/04 to 03/27.
How cold Pueblo County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 17°F; the coldest month, January, averages 16°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, November, December: 24 nights a year, and 6 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16°F | 19°F | 27°F | 36°F | 46°F | 55°F | 61°F | 60°F | 50°F | 36°F | 24°F | 16°F |
Pueblo County next to its neighbours
Crowley County, CO, 64 km east, gets 94 nights below 20°F to Pueblo County's 76 nights. Huerfano County, CO, 67 km southwest, gets 54 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pueblo County, CO | - | 158 nights | 76 nights | 16°F |
| Crowley County, CO | 64 km east | 171 nights | 94 nights | 13°F |
| Huerfano County, CO | 67 km southwest | 142 nights | 54 nights | 21°F |
| Otero County, CO | 74 km southeast | 171 nights | 92 nights | 14°F |
| El Paso County, CO | 74 km north | 164 nights | 74 nights | 17°F |
| Custer County, CO | 78 km west | 206 nights | 115 nights | 9°F |
| Fremont County, CO | 88 km west | 183 nights | 92 nights | 13°F |
Pueblo County within CO
Pueblo County ranks 45 of 64 CO counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Summit County, CO at 177 nights, with a 5°F average winter low. The fewest is Mesa County, CO: 44 nights, winter lows near 21°F. At 4,823 ft, Pueblo County sits 2,057 ft below the state's median county elevation of 6,880 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 Pueblo Memorial Airport, CO, 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.