Will Pipes Freeze in St. Helena Parish, LA? 2 nights a Year
Freeze nights in St. Helena Parish
In a normal year St. Helena Parish, LA 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 9% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs December to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 34 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 2 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 2 nights of risk to under 1 night. 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 11/18, last around 03/07. For 20°F: 01/03 to 01/18.
How cold St. Helena Parish 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 | 41°F | 47°F | 53°F | 62°F | 69°F | 71°F | 71°F | 66°F | 55°F | 45°F | 40°F |
St. Helena Parish next to its neighbours
Amite County, MS, 43 km north, gets 4 nights below 20°F to St. Helena Parish's 2 nights. Tangipahoa Parish, LA, 37 km southeast, gets 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Helena Parish, LA | - | 34 nights | 2 nights | 38°F |
| East Feliciana Parish, LA | 32 km west | 29 nights | 2 nights | 38°F |
| Tangipahoa Parish, LA | 37 km southeast | 33 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| Livingston Parish, LA | 43 km south | 29 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| Amite County, MS | 43 km north | 46 nights | 4 nights | 37°F |
| East Baton Rouge Parish, LA | 48 km southwest | 19 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Pike County, MS | 49 km northeast | 31 nights | 2 nights | 38°F |
St. Helena Parish within LA
St. Helena Parish ranks 23 of 64 LA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Claiborne Parish, LA at 5 nights, with a 34°F average winter low. The fewest is Plaquemines Parish, LA: none, winter lows near 49°F. At 206 ft, St. Helena Parish sits 136 ft above the state's median county elevation of 70 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 Amite, LA, 22 km away (close 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.