Will Pipes Freeze in Talbot County, MD? 12 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Talbot County
In a normal year Talbot County, MD gets 12 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 28% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 69 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 12 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 12 nights of risk to 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 11/07, last around 04/01. For 20°F: 12/25 to 02/25.
How cold Talbot County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°F; the coldest month, January, averages 29°F overnight. 6 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January: 1 night a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 31°F | 37°F | 47°F | 56°F | 66°F | 70°F | 68°F | 62°F | 51°F | 41°F | 33°F |
Talbot County next to its neighbours
Caroline County, MD, 33 km northeast, gets 19 nights below 20°F to Talbot County's 12 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talbot County, MD | - | 69 nights | 12 nights | 29°F |
| Caroline County, MD | 33 km northeast | 87 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 34 km north | 79 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Dorchester County, MD | 37 km south | 77 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Calvert County, MD | 40 km southwest | 82 nights | 16 nights | 27°F |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 43 km northwest | 74 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Kent County, MD | 55 km north | 94 nights | 21 nights | 27°F |
Talbot County within MD
Talbot County ranks 22 of 24 MD counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Garrett County, MD at 57 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Baltimore city, MD: 10 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 8 ft, Talbot County sits 130 ft below the state's median county elevation of 138 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 Royal Oak (2 mi SSW), MD, 4 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.