Will Pipes Freeze in Shasta County, CA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Shasta County
In a normal year Shasta 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 | 17 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 12/28, last around 02/08.
How cold Shasta County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 39°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 | 40°F | 43°F | 46°F | 54°F | 61°F | 67°F | 65°F | 60°F | 52°F | 44°F | 39°F |
Shasta County next to its neighbours
Trinity County, CA, 91 km west, gets 5 nights below 20°F to Shasta County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta County, CA | - | 17 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Tehama County, CA | 72 km south | 19 nights | under 1 night | 38°F |
| Trinity County, CA | 91 km west | 84 nights | 5 nights | 33°F |
| Siskiyou County, CA | 101 km northwest | 139 nights | 26 nights | 27°F |
| Lassen County, CA | 120 km east | 176 nights | 49 nights | 22°F |
| Butte County, CA | 127 km south | 22 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Glenn County, CA | 132 km south | 52 nights | 1 night | 35°F |
Shasta County within CA
Shasta County ranks 39 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 1,754 ft, Shasta County sits 456 ft above 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 Shasta Dam, CA, 32 km away (fair 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.