Will Pipes Freeze in Stephens County, OK? 13 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Stephens County
In a normal year Stephens County, OK gets 13 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 30% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 67 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 13 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 13 nights of risk to 2 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 11/07, last around 03/28. For 20°F: 12/09 to 02/14.
How cold Stephens County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°F; the coldest month, January, averages 29°F overnight. 7 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February: 2 nights a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 33°F | 42°F | 49°F | 59°F | 68°F | 72°F | 71°F | 63°F | 51°F | 40°F | 31°F |
Stephens County next to its neighbours
Garvin County, OK, 56 km northeast, gets 20 nights below 20°F to Stephens County's 13 nights. Jefferson County, OK, 42 km south, gets 10 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephens County, OK | - | 67 nights | 13 nights | 29°F |
| Jefferson County, OK | 42 km south | 62 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| Cotton County, OK | 52 km southwest | 73 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Garvin County, OK | 56 km northeast | 80 nights | 20 nights | 28°F |
| Carter County, OK | 58 km southeast | 60 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
| Grady County, OK | 60 km north | 86 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
| Comanche County, OK | 60 km west | 70 nights | 12 nights | 28°F |
Stephens County within OK
Stephens County ranks 66 of 77 OK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Beaver County, OK at 55 nights, with a 21°F average winter low. The fewest is Choctaw County, OK: 7 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 1,094 ft, Stephens County sits 85 ft above the state's median county elevation of 1,009 ft.
What to do here
- Insulate every pipe in unheated space before the season starts.
- Heat tape on the runs you cannot insulate well.
- Shut off and drain outdoor spigots for the season.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Velma Mesonet (7 mi NW), OK, 10 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.