Will Pipes Freeze in Siskiyou County, CA? 26 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Siskiyou County
In a normal year Siskiyou County, CA gets 26 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 42% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to March, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 139 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 26 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 26 nights of risk to 2 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 10/18, last around 04/30. For 20°F: 12/04 to 02/13.
How cold Siskiyou County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, December, averages 27°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, December: 2 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27°F | 28°F | 32°F | 36°F | 42°F | 48°F | 55°F | 54°F | 47°F | 37°F | 31°F | 27°F |
Siskiyou County next to its neighbours
Klamath County, OR, 142 km northeast, gets 73 nights below 20°F to Siskiyou County's 26 nights. Jackson County, OR, 92 km north, gets 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siskiyou County, CA | - | 139 nights | 26 nights | 27°F |
| Jackson County, OR | 92 km north | 103 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Shasta County, CA | 101 km southeast | 17 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Trinity County, CA | 115 km southwest | 84 nights | 5 nights | 33°F |
| Del Norte County, CA | 122 km west | 40 nights | 1 night | 37°F |
| Josephine County, OR | 124 km northwest | 79 nights | 4 nights | 33°F |
| Klamath County, OR | 142 km northeast | 222 nights | 73 nights | 18°F |
Siskiyou County within CA
Siskiyou County ranks 7 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 2,640 ft, Siskiyou County sits 1,342 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,298 ft.
What to do here
- Insulate every pipe in unheated space before the season starts.
- Heat tape on the runs you cannot insulate well.
- Shut off and drain outdoor spigots for the season.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Yreka, CA, 16 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.