Will Pipes Freeze in Washington County, RI? 45 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Washington County
In a normal year Washington County, RI gets 45 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 60% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. 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 | 131 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 45 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 45 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 10/12, last around 05/01. For 20°F: 11/19 to 03/21.
How cold Washington County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 22°F; the coldest month, January, averages 20°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, December: 14 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 21°F | 28°F | 36°F | 46°F | 55°F | 61°F | 60°F | 53°F | 42°F | 33°F | 26°F |
Washington County next to its neighbours
Providence County, RI, 53 km north, gets 49 nights below 20°F to Washington County's 45 nights. Newport County, RI, 30 km northeast, gets 27 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, RI | - | 131 nights | 45 nights | 20°F |
| Newport County, RI | 30 km northeast | 96 nights | 27 nights | 24°F |
| Kent County, RI | 31 km north | 134 nights | 45 nights | 19°F |
| Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 41 km west | 118 nights | 37 nights | 22°F |
| Bristol County, RI | 44 km northeast | 106 nights | 32 nights | 23°F |
| Providence County, RI | 53 km north | 132 nights | 49 nights | 19°F |
| Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 58 km northwest | 147 nights | 60 nights | 17°F |
Washington County within RI
Washington County ranks 3 of 5 RI counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Providence County, RI at 49 nights, with a 21°F average winter low. The fewest is Newport County, RI: 27 nights, winter lows near 27°F. At 138 ft, Washington County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 138 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 Kingston (1 mi W), RI, 11 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.