Will Pipes Freeze in St. Mary Parish, LA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in St. Mary Parish
In a normal year St. Mary Parish, LA 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 2% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 6 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 12/26, last around 02/02.
How cold St. Mary Parish nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 47°F; the coldest month, January, averages 45°F overnight. 3 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45°F | 48°F | 54°F | 61°F | 69°F | 75°F | 76°F | 76°F | 73°F | 63°F | 53°F | 47°F |
St. Mary Parish next to its neighbours
The six closest counties all sit within a night of St. Mary Parish.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Mary Parish, LA | - | 6 nights | under 1 night | 45°F |
| Iberia Parish, LA | 37 km west | 8 nights | under 1 night | 44°F |
| Assumption Parish, LA | 49 km northeast | 13 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
| St. Martin Parish, LA | 57 km north | 15 nights | under 1 night | 42°F |
| Terrebonne Parish, LA | 68 km southeast | 9 nights | under 1 night | 44°F |
| Iberville Parish, LA | 72 km north | 21 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| St. James Parish, LA | 78 km northeast | 14 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
St. Mary Parish within LA
St. Mary Parish ranks 62 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 2 ft, St. Mary Parish sits 69 ft below 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 Salt Point, LA, 10 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.