Will Pipes Freeze in Ross County, OH? 40 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Ross County
In a normal year Ross County, OH gets 40 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 55% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. 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 | 116 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 40 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 12 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 40 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 10/22, last around 04/20. For 20°F: 11/25 to 03/20.
How cold Ross County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°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 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 24°F | 31°F | 41°F | 51°F | 61°F | 64°F | 62°F | 54°F | 43°F | 33°F | 26°F |
Ross County next to its neighbours
Vinton County, OH, 50 km east, gets 44 nights below 20°F to Ross County's 40 nights. Pike County, OH, 28 km south, gets 38 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross County, OH | - | 116 nights | 40 nights | 21°F |
| Pike County, OH | 28 km south | 120 nights | 38 nights | 22°F |
| Pickaway County, OH | 36 km north | 112 nights | 38 nights | 22°F |
| Fayette County, OH | 43 km northwest | 115 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Highland County, OH | 49 km west | 114 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Vinton County, OH | 50 km east | 125 nights | 44 nights | 21°F |
| Jackson County, OH | 52 km southeast | 121 nights | 40 nights | 21°F |
Ross County within OH
Ross County ranks 67 of 88 OH counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Williams County, OH at 61 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Scioto County, OH: 28 nights, winter lows near 24°F. At 1,017 ft, Ross County sits 101 ft above the state's median county elevation of 916 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Chillicothe Mound City, OH, 7 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.