Will Pipes Freeze in Smith County, TX? 2 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Smith County
In a normal year Smith County, TX gets 2 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 10% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs January to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 30 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 2 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 2 nights of risk to none. 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 11/21, last around 03/07. For 20°F: 01/05 to 01/19.
How cold Smith County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 40°F; the coldest month, January, averages 38°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38°F | 42°F | 48°F | 55°F | 64°F | 71°F | 74°F | 73°F | 67°F | 57°F | 47°F | 40°F |
Smith County next to its neighbours
Gregg County, TX, 44 km east, gets 3 nights below 20°F to Smith County's 2 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County, TX | - | 30 nights | 2 nights | 38°F |
| Gregg County, TX | 44 km east | 41 nights | 3 nights | 35°F |
| Wood County, TX | 47 km north | 46 nights | 5 nights | 34°F |
| Upshur County, TX | 50 km northeast | 48 nights | 4 nights | 34°F |
| Rusk County, TX | 57 km southeast | 40 nights | 3 nights | 36°F |
| Van Zandt County, TX | 57 km west | 45 nights | 5 nights | 34°F |
| Henderson County, TX | 58 km west | 41 nights | 3 nights | 35°F |
Smith County within TX
Smith County ranks 177 of 254 TX counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Lipscomb County, TX at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Cameron County, TX: none, winter lows near 54°F. At 495 ft, Smith County sits 498 ft below the state's median county elevation of 992 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.
A few nights a year catches houses that were never built for it: pipes 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 Tyler, TX, 8 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.