Will Pipes Freeze in Washington County, MN? 94 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Washington County
In a normal year Washington County, MN gets 94 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 89% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 158 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 94 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 58 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 33 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 94 nights of risk to 58 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 10/11, last around 04/30. For 20°F: 11/09 to 04/02.
How cold Washington County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 9°F; the coldest month, January, averages 6°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, November, December: 58 nights a year, and 33 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6°F | 8°F | 21°F | 34°F | 47°F | 58°F | 63°F | 61°F | 52°F | 38°F | 25°F | 13°F |
Washington County next to its neighbours
St. Croix County, WI, 35 km east, gets 102 nights below 20°F to Washington County's 94 nights. Ramsey County, MN, 17 km west, gets 90 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MN | - | 158 nights | 94 nights | 6°F |
| Ramsey County, MN | 17 km west | 155 nights | 90 nights | 7°F |
| St. Croix County, WI | 35 km east | 170 nights | 102 nights | 2°F |
| Anoka County, MN | 38 km northwest | 168 nights | 99 nights | 4°F |
| Dakota County, MN | 43 km south | 155 nights | 88 nights | 5°F |
| Hennepin County, MN | 46 km west | 156 nights | 88 nights | 7°F |
| Pierce County, WI | 50 km southeast | 166 nights | 95 nights | 2°F |
Washington County within MN
Washington County ranks 65 of 87 MN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is St. Louis County, MN at 130 nights, with a 0°F average winter low. The fewest is Winona County, MN: 81 nights, winter lows near 12°F. At 931 ft, Washington County sits 183 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,114 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 Stillwater (2 mi SW), MN, 3 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.