Will Pipes Freeze in Winona County, MN? 81 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Winona County
In a normal year Winona County, MN gets 81 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 83% 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 | 150 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 81 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 45 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 23 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 81 nights of risk to 45 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 10/19, last around 04/21. For 20°F: 11/17 to 03/25.
How cold Winona County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 12°F; the coldest month, January, averages 8°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: 45 nights a year, and 23 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8°F | 12°F | 24°F | 36°F | 48°F | 58°F | 63°F | 61°F | 53°F | 40°F | 28°F | 16°F |
Winona County next to its neighbours
Houston County, MN, 41 km southeast, gets 87 nights below 20°F to Winona County's 81 nights. Buffalo County, WI, 45 km north, gets 78 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winona County, MN | - | 150 nights | 81 nights | 8°F |
| Houston County, MN | 41 km southeast | 160 nights | 87 nights | 8°F |
| Fillmore County, MN | 42 km southwest | 167 nights | 93 nights | 4°F |
| Buffalo County, WI | 45 km north | 147 nights | 78 nights | 8°F |
| Trempealeau County, WI | 49 km northeast | 172 nights | 96 nights | 5°F |
| Wabasha County, MN | 50 km northwest | 168 nights | 94 nights | 5°F |
| Olmsted County, MN | 51 km west | 162 nights | 90 nights | 6°F |
Winona County within MN
Winona County ranks 87 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. At 1,194 ft, Winona County sits 79 ft above 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.
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 Winona, MN, 13 km away (fair 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.