Will Pipes Freeze in Washington County, WI? 79 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Washington County
In a normal year Washington County, WI gets 79 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 81% 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 | 157 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 79 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 40 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 18 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 79 nights of risk to 40 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: 11/14 to 04/01.
How cold Washington County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 14°F; the coldest month, January, averages 10°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: 40 nights a year, and 18 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10°F | 13°F | 23°F | 33°F | 45°F | 55°F | 60°F | 58°F | 51°F | 39°F | 28°F | 17°F |
Washington County next to its neighbours
Dodge County, WI, 38 km west, gets 81 nights below 20°F to Washington County's 79 nights. Ozaukee County, WI, 33 km east, gets 76 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, WI | - | 157 nights | 79 nights | 10°F |
| Ozaukee County, WI | 33 km east | 153 nights | 76 nights | 11°F |
| Dodge County, WI | 38 km west | 154 nights | 81 nights | 9°F |
| Waukesha County, WI | 42 km south | 146 nights | 71 nights | 12°F |
| Fond du Lac County, WI | 46 km northwest | 143 nights | 71 nights | 11°F |
| Sheboygan County, WI | 56 km northeast | 135 nights | 66 nights | 14°F |
| Jefferson County, WI | 61 km southwest | 144 nights | 73 nights | 11°F |
Washington County within WI
Washington County ranks 52 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 1,130 ft, Washington County sits 135 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.
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 W Bend Public Works, WI, 4 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.