Will Pipes Freeze in Swisher County, TX? 36 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Swisher County
In a normal year Swisher County, TX gets 36 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 52% 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 | 119 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 36 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 36 nights of risk to 6 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 10/26, last around 04/18. For 20°F: 11/22 to 03/09.
How cold Swisher County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, January, averages 23°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, March, December: 6 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23°F | 26°F | 33°F | 40°F | 51°F | 61°F | 65°F | 64°F | 56°F | 44°F | 32°F | 24°F |
Swisher County next to its neighbours
Castro County, TX, 47 km west, gets 43 nights below 20°F to Swisher County's 36 nights. Briscoe County, TX, 49 km east, gets 31 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swisher County, TX | - | 119 nights | 36 nights | 23°F |
| Castro County, TX | 47 km west | 130 nights | 43 nights | 22°F |
| Briscoe County, TX | 49 km east | 111 nights | 31 nights | 24°F |
| Randall County, TX | 50 km north | 107 nights | 30 nights | 23°F |
| Hale County, TX | 51 km south | 102 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Armstrong County, TX | 60 km northeast | 116 nights | 36 nights | 23°F |
| Floyd County, TX | 65 km southeast | 98 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
Swisher County within TX
Swisher County ranks 14 of 254 TX counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Lipscomb County, TX at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Cameron County, TX: none, winter lows near 54°F. At 3,462 ft, Swisher County sits 2,469 ft above the state's median county elevation of 992 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.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Tulia, TX, 3 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.