Will Pipes Freeze in Riverside County, CA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Riverside County
In a normal year Riverside County, CA gets under 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 2% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 14 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | under 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 12/17, last around 02/05.
How cold Riverside County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 41°F; the coldest month, December, averages 40°F overnight. 4 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40°F | 42°F | 47°F | 52°F | 60°F | 68°F | 76°F | 76°F | 68°F | 57°F | 46°F | 40°F |
Riverside County next to its neighbours
San Diego County, CA, 106 km southwest, gets 4 nights below 20°F to Riverside County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside County, CA | - | 14 nights | under 1 night | 40°F |
| Imperial County, CA | 97 km southeast | 5 nights | none | 42°F |
| San Diego County, CA | 106 km southwest | 57 nights | 4 nights | 36°F |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 126 km north | 28 nights | under 1 night | 36°F |
| Orange County, CA | 164 km west | 1 night | none | 46°F |
| La Paz County, AZ | 182 km east | 14 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 215 km west | under 1 night | none | 45°F |
Riverside County within CA
Riverside County ranks 43 of 58 CA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Mono County, CA at 130 nights, with a 13°F average winter low. The fewest is Orange County, CA: none, winter lows near 46°F. At 2,589 ft, Riverside County sits 1,291 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,298 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.
A few nights a year catches houses that were never built for it: pipes 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 Chiriaco Summit, CA, 27 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.