Will Pipes Freeze in Santa Cruz County, CA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Santa Cruz County
In a normal year Santa Cruz 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 | 20 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 12/13, last around 01/29.
How cold Santa Cruz County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 40°F; the coldest month, December, averages 39°F overnight. 6 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40°F | 41°F | 42°F | 44°F | 48°F | 50°F | 53°F | 53°F | 51°F | 47°F | 42°F | 39°F |
Santa Cruz County next to its neighbours
San Benito County, CA, 93 km southeast, gets 2 nights below 20°F to Santa Cruz County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County, CA | - | 20 nights | under 1 night | 40°F |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 37 km northeast | 11 nights | under 1 night | 40°F |
| San Mateo County, CA | 55 km northwest | 18 nights | none | 40°F |
| Alameda County, CA | 71 km north | 14 nights | none | 39°F |
| San Benito County, CA | 93 km southeast | 59 nights | 2 nights | 35°F |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 101 km north | 11 nights | none | 42°F |
| Monterey County, CA | 106 km southeast | 55 nights | 1 night | 35°F |
Santa Cruz County within CA
Santa Cruz County ranks 41 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 362 ft, Santa Cruz County sits 936 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 Santa Cruz, CA, 3 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.