Will Pipes Freeze in Washington County, NE? 68 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Washington County
In a normal year Washington County, NE gets 68 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 76% 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 | 140 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 68 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 33 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 13 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 68 nights of risk to 33 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 10/17, last around 04/22. For 20°F: 11/11 to 03/25.
How cold Washington County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 16°F; the coldest month, January, averages 13°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, November, December: 33 nights a year, and 13 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13°F | 17°F | 28°F | 39°F | 51°F | 61°F | 65°F | 63°F | 54°F | 42°F | 28°F | 18°F |
Washington County next to its neighbours
Dodge County, NE, 35 km west, gets 70 nights below 20°F to Washington County's 68 nights. Douglas County, NE, 27 km south, gets 62 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, NE | - | 140 nights | 68 nights | 13°F |
| Douglas County, NE | 27 km south | 134 nights | 62 nights | 15°F |
| Dodge County, NE | 35 km west | 143 nights | 70 nights | 13°F |
| Burt County, NE | 37 km north | 149 nights | 74 nights | 11°F |
| Harrison County, IA | 37 km northeast | 154 nights | 81 nights | 10°F |
| Sarpy County, NE | 48 km south | 136 nights | 66 nights | 14°F |
| Saunders County, NE | 49 km southwest | 151 nights | 72 nights | 12°F |
Washington County within NE
Washington County ranks 75 of 93 NE counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Sioux County, NE at 114 nights, with a 11°F average winter low. The fewest is Fillmore County, NE: 55 nights, winter lows near 19°F. At 1,293 ft, Washington County sits 717 ft below the state's median county elevation of 2,010 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.
At this many nights, foam alone is not the answer: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Blair, NE, 7 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.