Will Pipes Freeze in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK? 185 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
In a normal year Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK gets 185 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 100% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs September to May, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 242 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 185 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 152 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 115 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 185 nights of risk to 152 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 08/28, last around 05/29. For 20°F: 09/30 to 05/02.
How cold Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: -15°F; the coldest month, January, averages -19°F overnight. 11 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, April, October, November, December: 152 nights a year, and 115 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -19°F | -12°F | -8°F | 15°F | 32°F | 44°F | 48°F | 42°F | 32°F | 16°F | -6°F | -14°F |
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area next to its neighbours
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK, 432 km east, gets 192 nights below 20°F to Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area's 185 nights. Denali Borough, AK, 202 km south, gets 172 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK | - | 242 nights | 185 nights | -19°F |
| Denali Borough, AK | 202 km south | 242 nights | 172 nights | -6°F |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK | 251 km east | 226 nights | 169 nights | -11°F |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | 360 km south | 221 nights | 133 nights | 5°F |
| Northwest Arctic Borough, AK | 420 km northwest | 236 nights | 181 nights | -8°F |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK | 432 km east | 261 nights | 192 nights | -22°F |
| Anchorage Municipality, AK | 481 km south | 203 nights | 104 nights | 12°F |
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area within AK
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area ranks 2 of 26 AK counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK at 192 nights, with a -19°F average winter low. The fewest is Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK: 10 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 2,047 ft, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area sits 1,225 ft above the state's median county elevation of 822 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 2 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Tanana Calhoun Memorial Airport, AK, 33 km away (distant 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.