Will Pipes Freeze in Union County, OR? 30 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Union County
In a normal year Union County, OR gets 30 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 46% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs October to March, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 137 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 30 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 30 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 10/01, last around 05/06. For 20°F: 11/15 to 03/06.
How cold Union County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, December, averages 25°F overnight. 9 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, November, December: 6 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 27°F | 31°F | 35°F | 42°F | 48°F | 54°F | 52°F | 44°F | 35°F | 30°F | 25°F |
Union County next to its neighbours
Baker County, OR, 71 km south, gets 76 nights below 20°F to Union County's 30 nights. Umatilla County, OR, 66 km northwest, gets 18 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, OR | - | 137 nights | 30 nights | 25°F |
| Umatilla County, OR | 66 km northwest | 103 nights | 18 nights | 28°F |
| Baker County, OR | 71 km south | 202 nights | 76 nights | 19°F |
| Wallowa County, OR | 71 km northeast | 190 nights | 65 nights | 19°F |
| Columbia County, WA | 110 km north | 111 nights | 20 nights | 27°F |
| Walla Walla County, WA | 112 km north | 83 nights | 14 nights | 30°F |
| Asotin County, WA | 114 km northeast | 179 nights | 52 nights | 20°F |
Union County within OR
Union County ranks 11 of 36 OR counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Baker County, OR at 76 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Lincoln County, OR: under 1 night, winter lows near 40°F. At 2,711 ft, Union County sits 694 ft above the state's median county elevation of 2,017 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 La Grande, OR, 6 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.