Will Pipes Freeze in Vigo County, IN? 39 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Vigo County
In a normal year Vigo County, IN gets 39 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 54% 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 | 114 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 39 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 14 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 39 nights of risk to 14 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 10/19, last around 04/15. For 20°F: 11/23 to 03/12.
How cold Vigo County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 20°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: 14 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 23°F | 33°F | 43°F | 54°F | 63°F | 66°F | 64°F | 55°F | 43°F | 33°F | 25°F |
Vigo County next to its neighbours
Edgar County, IL, 41 km northwest, gets 44 nights below 20°F to Vigo County's 39 nights. Clay County, IN, 24 km east, gets 33 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vigo County, IN | - | 114 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Clay County, IN | 24 km east | 112 nights | 33 nights | 20°F |
| Clark County, IL | 36 km west | 111 nights | 36 nights | 19°F |
| Sullivan County, IN | 38 km south | 105 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Edgar County, IL | 41 km northwest | 117 nights | 44 nights | 17°F |
| Parke County, IN | 42 km northeast | 111 nights | 41 nights | 17°F |
| Vermillion County, IN | 47 km north | 117 nights | 44 nights | 17°F |
Vigo County within IN
Vigo County ranks 64 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 489 ft, Vigo County sits 271 ft below the state's median county elevation of 759 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 Terre Haute Indiana State, IN, 5 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.