Will Pipes Freeze in Washburn County, WI? 100 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Washburn County
In a normal year Washburn County, WI gets 100 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 91% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 173 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 100 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 61 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 36 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 100 nights of risk to 61 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 09/28, last around 05/14. For 20°F: 11/01 to 04/13.
How cold Washburn County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 5°F; the coldest month, January, averages 2°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, March, April, November, December: 61 nights a year, and 36 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2°F | 5°F | 18°F | 31°F | 43°F | 53°F | 58°F | 56°F | 48°F | 36°F | 23°F | 10°F |
Washburn County next to its neighbours
Burnett County, WI, 45 km west, gets 101 nights below 20°F to Washburn County's 100 nights. Polk County, WI, 70 km southwest, gets 96 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn County, WI | - | 173 nights | 100 nights | 2°F |
| Burnett County, WI | 45 km west | 173 nights | 101 nights | 2°F |
| Sawyer County, WI | 50 km east | 188 nights | 109 nights | 2°F |
| Barron County, WI | 51 km south | 173 nights | 103 nights | 2°F |
| Douglas County, WI | 64 km north | 189 nights | 111 nights | 2°F |
| Rusk County, WI | 69 km southeast | 192 nights | 108 nights | 2°F |
| Polk County, WI | 70 km southwest | 164 nights | 96 nights | 4°F |
Washburn County within WI
Washburn County ranks 19 of 72 WI counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Vilas County, WI at 116 nights, with a 4°F average winter low. The fewest is Racine County, WI: 55 nights, winter lows near 19°F. At 1,208 ft, Washburn County sits 213 ft above the state's median county elevation of 995 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.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Spooner Ag Reservoir Station, WI, 10 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.