Will Pipes Freeze in Vermillion County, IN? 44 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Vermillion County
In a normal year Vermillion County, IN gets 44 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 59% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. 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 | 117 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 44 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 17 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 6 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 44 nights of risk to 17 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 10/12, last around 04/30. For 20°F: 11/14 to 03/27.
How cold Vermillion County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 20°F; the coldest month, January, averages 17°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: 17 nights a year, and 6 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17°F | 21°F | 29°F | 40°F | 51°F | 60°F | 63°F | 61°F | 53°F | 42°F | 32°F | 23°F |
Vermillion County next to its neighbours
Fountain County, IN, 35 km northeast, gets 51 nights below 20°F to Vermillion County's 44 nights. Parke County, IN, 24 km east, gets 41 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermillion County, IN | - | 117 nights | 44 nights | 17°F |
| Parke County, IN | 24 km east | 111 nights | 41 nights | 17°F |
| Edgar County, IL | 31 km southwest | 117 nights | 44 nights | 17°F |
| Fountain County, IN | 35 km northeast | 126 nights | 51 nights | 17°F |
| Vermilion County, IL | 43 km northwest | 115 nights | 43 nights | 19°F |
| Vigo County, IN | 47 km south | 114 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Montgomery County, IN | 53 km northeast | 137 nights | 56 nights | 17°F |
Vermillion County within IN
Vermillion County ranks 46 of 92 IN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Steuben County, IN at 63 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Floyd County, IN: 19 nights, winter lows near 29°F. At 621 ft, Vermillion County sits 138 ft below the state's median county elevation of 759 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
Interior pipes have a threshold too: the four freeze points.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Rockville, IN, 23 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.