Will Pipes Freeze in Wood County, WV? 31 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Wood County
In a normal year Wood County, WV gets 31 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 47% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. 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 | 106 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 31 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 8 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 31 nights of risk to 8 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 10/30, last around 04/14. For 20°F: 12/05 to 03/09.
How cold Wood County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°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, December: 8 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 26°F | 32°F | 42°F | 52°F | 62°F | 66°F | 64°F | 57°F | 45°F | 35°F | 29°F |
Wood County next to its neighbours
Wirt County, WV, 24 km southeast, gets 50 nights below 20°F to Wood County's 31 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood County, WV | - | 106 nights | 31 nights | 24°F |
| Wirt County, WV | 24 km southeast | 135 nights | 50 nights | 20°F |
| Washington County, OH | 27 km north | 112 nights | 34 nights | 23°F |
| Pleasants County, WV | 35 km northeast | 119 nights | 38 nights | 22°F |
| Ritchie County, WV | 39 km east | 128 nights | 42 nights | 21°F |
| Jackson County, WV | 44 km south | 117 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Meigs County, OH | 46 km west | 121 nights | 43 nights | 22°F |
Wood County within WV
Wood County ranks 50 of 55 WV counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Tucker County, WV at 70 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Mingo County, WV: 25 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 599 ft, Wood County sits 613 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,213 ft.
What to do here
- Insulate every pipe in unheated space before the season starts.
- Heat tape on the runs you cannot insulate well.
- Shut off and drain outdoor spigots for the season.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Parkersburg, WV, 9 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.