Will Pipes Freeze in Scotts Bluff County, NE? 83 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Scotts Bluff County
In a normal year Scotts Bluff County, NE gets 83 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 83% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 172 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 83 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 33 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 11 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 83 nights of risk to 33 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 10/03, last around 05/08. For 20°F: 10/30 to 04/02.
How cold Scotts Bluff County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 16°F; the coldest month, January, averages 15°F overnight. 9 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, November, December: 33 nights a year, and 11 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15°F | 17°F | 25°F | 33°F | 43°F | 53°F | 60°F | 57°F | 47°F | 34°F | 23°F | 15°F |
Scotts Bluff County next to its neighbours
Banner County, NE, 35 km south, gets 88 nights below 20°F to Scotts Bluff County's 83 nights. Box Butte County, NE, 65 km northeast, gets 79 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotts Bluff County, NE | - | 172 nights | 83 nights | 15°F |
| Banner County, NE | 35 km south | 183 nights | 88 nights | 15°F |
| Goshen County, WY | 60 km northwest | 188 nights | 102 nights | 13°F |
| Morrill County, NE | 61 km east | 171 nights | 83 nights | 14°F |
| Box Butte County, NE | 65 km northeast | 168 nights | 79 nights | 15°F |
| Sioux County, NE | 69 km north | 202 nights | 114 nights | 11°F |
| Kimball County, NE | 72 km south | 186 nights | 91 nights | 13°F |
Scotts Bluff County within NE
Scotts Bluff County ranks 28 of 93 NE counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Sioux County, NE at 114 nights, with a 11°F average winter low. The fewest is Fillmore County, NE: 55 nights, winter lows near 19°F. At 3,979 ft, Scotts Bluff County sits 1,969 ft above the state's median county elevation of 2,010 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.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Scottsbluff (1 mi E), NE, 6 km away (close 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.