Will Pipes Freeze in Sonoma County, CA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Sonoma County
In a normal year Sonoma 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 3% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 18 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 12/30, last around 01/29.
How cold Sonoma County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 40°F; the coldest month, December, averages 39°F overnight. 6 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40°F | 41°F | 43°F | 44°F | 47°F | 50°F | 52°F | 52°F | 51°F | 49°F | 43°F | 39°F |
Sonoma County next to its neighbours
Lake County, CA, 67 km north, gets 2 nights below 20°F to Sonoma County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoma County, CA | - | 18 nights | under 1 night | 40°F |
| Napa County, CA | 52 km east | 17 nights | none | 39°F |
| Marin County, CA | 55 km south | 7 nights | none | 42°F |
| Lake County, CA | 67 km north | 64 nights | 2 nights | 33°F |
| San Francisco County, CA | 89 km south | 3 nights | none | 44°F |
| Yolo County, CA | 91 km east | 12 nights | none | 38°F |
| Solano County, CA | 91 km east | 14 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
Sonoma County within CA
Sonoma County ranks 36 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 1,281 ft, Sonoma County sits close to 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.
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 Occidental, CA, 16 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.