Will Pipes Freeze in Rockland County, NY? 43 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Rockland County
In a normal year Rockland County, NY gets 43 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 58% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 120 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 43 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 12 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 43 nights of risk to 12 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 10/19, last around 04/25. For 20°F: 11/24 to 03/25.
How cold Rockland County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 21°F; the coldest month, January, averages 18°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, March, December: 12 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18°F | 20°F | 27°F | 37°F | 47°F | 56°F | 62°F | 61°F | 53°F | 42°F | 33°F | 25°F |
Rockland County next to its neighbours
Passaic County, NJ, 26 km southwest, gets 45 nights below 20°F to Rockland County's 43 nights. Bergen County, NJ, 22 km south, gets 30 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockland County, NY | - | 120 nights | 43 nights | 18°F |
| Bergen County, NJ | 22 km south | 101 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Westchester County, NY | 23 km east | 115 nights | 40 nights | 19°F |
| Passaic County, NJ | 26 km southwest | 121 nights | 45 nights | 20°F |
| Orange County, NY | 36 km northwest | 137 nights | 55 nights | 17°F |
| Bronx County, NY | 37 km southeast | 66 nights | 16 nights | 27°F |
| Putnam County, NY | 38 km northeast | 131 nights | 56 nights | 17°F |
Rockland County within NY
Rockland County ranks 54 of 62 NY counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Franklin County, NY at 107 nights, with a 7°F average winter low. The fewest is Bronx County, NY: 16 nights, winter lows near 30°F. At 559 ft, Rockland County sits 329 ft below the state's median county elevation of 888 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.
At this many nights, foam alone is not the answer: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Yorktown Heights (1 mi W), NY, 23 km away (fair 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.