Will Pipes Freeze in Skagway Municipality, AK? 45 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Skagway Municipality
In a normal year Skagway Municipality, AK gets 45 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 60% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 143 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 45 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 15 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 45 nights of risk to 15 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 10/01, last around 05/06. For 20°F: 11/12 to 03/26.
How cold Skagway Municipality nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°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: 15 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 23°F | 26°F | 34°F | 41°F | 49°F | 52°F | 50°F | 45°F | 37°F | 28°F | 24°F |
Skagway Municipality next to its neighbours
Haines Borough, AK, 53 km south, gets 69 nights below 20°F to Skagway Municipality's 45 nights. Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK, 132 km south, gets 37 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skagway Municipality, AK | - | 143 nights | 45 nights | 21°F |
| Haines Borough, AK | 53 km south | 161 nights | 69 nights | 17°F |
| Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK | 132 km south | 154 nights | 37 nights | 24°F |
| Juneau City and Borough, AK | 148 km southeast | 144 nights | 41 nights | 21°F |
| Sitka City and Borough, AK | 263 km south | 96 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
| Yakutat City and Borough, AK | 289 km west | 164 nights | 50 nights | 21°F |
| Petersburg Borough, AK | 304 km southeast | 99 nights | 20 nights | 28°F |
Skagway Municipality within AK
Skagway Municipality ranks 16 of 26 AK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK at 192 nights, with a -19°F average winter low. The fewest is Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK: 10 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 90 ft, Skagway Municipality sits 731 ft below the state's median county elevation of 822 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.
At this many nights, foam alone is not the answer: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Skagway, AK, 12 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.