Will Pipes Freeze in San Joaquin County, CA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in San Joaquin County
In a normal year San Joaquin 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 3% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 21 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 12/01, last around 02/06.
How cold San Joaquin County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 40°F; the coldest month, December, averages 39°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39°F | 42°F | 45°F | 48°F | 53°F | 58°F | 61°F | 60°F | 57°F | 51°F | 43°F | 39°F |
San Joaquin County next to its neighbours
The six closest counties all sit within a night of San Joaquin County.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Joaquin County, CA | - | 21 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 48 km southeast | 12 nights | none | 39°F |
| Sacramento County, CA | 58 km north | 10 nights | none | 40°F |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 60 km west | 11 nights | none | 42°F |
| Alameda County, CA | 65 km southwest | 14 nights | none | 39°F |
| Calaveras County, CA | 69 km northeast | 35 nights | under 1 night | 36°F |
| Solano County, CA | 69 km northwest | 14 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
San Joaquin County within CA
San Joaquin County ranks 34 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 21 ft, San Joaquin County sits 1,278 ft below 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.
Why rare cold catches people out - freezes 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 Stockton Metro Airport, CA, 7 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.