Will Pipes Freeze in Sacramento County, CA? No Normal Risk Nights
Freeze nights in Sacramento County
A normal winter in Sacramento County, CA never drops to 20°F, the point where bare pipes in unheated space start to freeze.
Risk level: No normal risk nights.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 10 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | none |
| 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 12/16, last around 01/12.
How cold Sacramento 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 | 43°F | 46°F | 48°F | 53°F | 58°F | 60°F | 60°F | 58°F | 52°F | 44°F | 40°F |
Sacramento County next to its neighbours
Amador County, CA, 60 km east, gets 1 night below 20°F to Sacramento County's none.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento County, CA | - | 10 nights | none | 40°F |
| Yolo County, CA | 55 km northwest | 12 nights | none | 38°F |
| Solano County, CA | 56 km west | 14 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| San Joaquin County, CA | 58 km south | 21 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Amador County, CA | 60 km east | 31 nights | 1 night | 37°F |
| Sutter County, CA | 72 km northwest | 16 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Calaveras County, CA | 75 km east | 35 nights | under 1 night | 36°F |
Sacramento County within CA
Sacramento County ranks 52 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 59 ft, Sacramento County sits 1,239 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,298 ft.
What to do here
- Disconnect hoses in a cold snap; no routine prep needed.
Even here, a once-a-decade freeze catches houses built without insulation: why pipes burst in warm places.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Sacramento (5 mi ESE), CA, 13 km away (close 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.