Will Pipes Freeze in Queen Anne's County, MD? 16 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Queen Anne's County
In a normal year Queen Anne's County, MD gets 16 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 33% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 79 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 16 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 16 nights of risk to 2 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 11/05, last around 04/03. For 20°F: 12/21 to 02/28.
How cold Queen Anne's 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 January, February: 2 nights a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 29°F | 36°F | 46°F | 56°F | 65°F | 70°F | 69°F | 62°F | 50°F | 40°F | 33°F |
Queen Anne's County next to its neighbours
Kent County, MD, 23 km north, gets 21 nights below 20°F to Queen Anne's County's 16 nights. Talbot County, MD, 34 km south, gets 12 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Anne's County, MD | - | 79 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Kent County, MD | 23 km north | 94 nights | 21 nights | 27°F |
| Caroline County, MD | 29 km southeast | 87 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
| Talbot County, MD | 34 km south | 69 nights | 12 nights | 29°F |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 42 km west | 74 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Kent County, DE | 50 km east | 79 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Baltimore city, MD | 54 km northwest | 54 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
Queen Anne's County within MD
Queen Anne's County ranks 16 of 24 MD counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Garrett County, MD at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Baltimore city, MD: 10 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 34 ft, Queen Anne's County sits 104 ft below the state's median county elevation of 138 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 Chestertown, MD, 20 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.