Will Pipes Freeze in Sutter County, CA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Sutter County
In a normal year Sutter 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 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 | 16 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 11/30, last around 02/11.
How cold Sutter County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 40°F; the coldest month, December, averages 39°F overnight. 4 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39°F | 42°F | 45°F | 47°F | 54°F | 59°F | 62°F | 61°F | 57°F | 51°F | 43°F | 39°F |
Sutter County next to its neighbours
The six closest counties all sit within a night of Sutter County.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutter County, CA | - | 16 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Yuba County, CA | 40 km northeast | 33 nights | under 1 night | 37°F |
| Yolo County, CA | 43 km southwest | 12 nights | none | 38°F |
| Colusa County, CA | 49 km west | 17 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Butte County, CA | 70 km north | 22 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Sacramento County, CA | 72 km southeast | 10 nights | none | 40°F |
| Napa County, CA | 80 km southwest | 17 nights | none | 39°F |
Sutter County within CA
Sutter County ranks 42 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 38 ft, Sutter County sits 1,260 ft below 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 Marysville Yuba County Airport, CA, 14 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.