Will Pipes Freeze in Shenandoah County, VA? 44 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Shenandoah County
In a normal year Shenandoah County, VA gets 44 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 59% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 131 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 44 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 10 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 44 nights of risk to 10 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 10/19, last around 04/25. For 20°F: 11/18 to 03/19.
How cold Shenandoah County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 10 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 23°F | 29°F | 38°F | 49°F | 58°F | 62°F | 60°F | 53°F | 41°F | 31°F | 25°F |
Shenandoah County next to its neighbours
Hardy County, WV, 29 km northwest, gets 54 nights below 20°F to Shenandoah County's 44 nights. Page County, VA, 27 km south, gets 36 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shenandoah County, VA | - | 131 nights | 44 nights | 21°F |
| Page County, VA | 27 km south | 119 nights | 36 nights | 23°F |
| Hardy County, WV | 29 km northwest | 138 nights | 54 nights | 19°F |
| Warren County, VA | 32 km east | 106 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Rappahannock County, VA | 40 km southeast | 107 nights | 28 nights | 24°F |
| Frederick County, VA | 47 km northeast | 114 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Rockingham County, VA | 47 km southwest | 122 nights | 38 nights | 23°F |
Shenandoah County within VA
Shenandoah County ranks 4 of 133 VA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Highland County, VA at 62 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Norfolk city, VA: 4 nights, winter lows near 35°F. At 947 ft, Shenandoah County sits 500 ft above the state's median county elevation of 448 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 Edinburg, VA, 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.