Will Pipes Freeze in Tulsa County, OK? 18 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Tulsa County
In a normal year Tulsa County, OK gets 18 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 35% 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 | 78 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 18 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 3 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 18 nights of risk to 3 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 11/04, last around 03/31. For 20°F: 12/07 to 02/25.
How cold Tulsa County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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, December: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 31°F | 40°F | 49°F | 59°F | 68°F | 72°F | 71°F | 62°F | 50°F | 39°F | 31°F |
Tulsa County next to its neighbours
Rogers County, OK, 42 km northeast, gets 27 nights below 20°F to Tulsa County's 18 nights. Wagoner County, OK, 42 km southeast, gets 17 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa County, OK | - | 78 nights | 18 nights | 28°F |
| Rogers County, OK | 42 km northeast | 92 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
| Wagoner County, OK | 42 km southeast | 73 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Creek County, OK | 46 km southwest | 78 nights | 21 nights | 26°F |
| Okmulgee County, OK | 53 km south | 87 nights | 22 nights | 26°F |
| Washington County, OK | 65 km north | 101 nights | 33 nights | 22°F |
| Mayes County, OK | 67 km east | 90 nights | 24 nights | 25°F |
Tulsa County within OK
Tulsa County ranks 44 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 740 ft, Tulsa County sits 269 ft below 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 Tulsa International Airport, OK, 10 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.