Will Pipes Freeze in Wasco County, OR? 19 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Wasco County
In a normal year Wasco County, OR gets 19 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 36% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to March, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 130 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 19 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 5 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 19 nights of risk to 5 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 10/07, last around 05/12. For 20°F: 11/19 to 02/20.
How cold Wasco County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, December, averages 26°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: 5 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26°F | 28°F | 31°F | 35°F | 42°F | 47°F | 52°F | 52°F | 45°F | 37°F | 30°F | 26°F |
Wasco County next to its neighbours
Sherman County, OR, 46 km northeast, gets 22 nights below 20°F to Wasco County's 19 nights. Hood River County, OR, 54 km northwest, gets 17 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasco County, OR | - | 130 nights | 19 nights | 26°F |
| Sherman County, OR | 46 km northeast | 130 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Hood River County, OR | 54 km northwest | 140 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Jefferson County, OR | 58 km south | 144 nights | 28 nights | 24°F |
| Gilliam County, OR | 74 km east | 127 nights | 23 nights | 26°F |
| Clackamas County, OR | 81 km west | 68 nights | 3 nights | 33°F |
| Klickitat County, WA | 84 km north | 157 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
Wasco County within OR
Wasco County ranks 15 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 1,804 ft, Wasco County sits 213 ft below 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.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Dufur, OR, 32 km away (fair 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.