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Around the House
Freeze Nights: Protecting Pipes When Central Florida Drops Below 32°F
To protect pipes in a Florida freeze, focus on what sits outdoors or above ground: hose bibs, well equipment and backflow preventers. Freezes here average 1.2 to 2.3 days a year, mostly in January.
Most winters north of Orlando pass with a cold front or two and maybe one night that dips below freezing. NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals put the average at 2.3 days a year at or below 32°F at Orlando Sanford Airport, which runs a little colder than the stations to the south.
How often does it actually freeze north of Orlando?
About one to two nights a year, on average, depending on where you live. The NOAA climate normals count the days each year when the low reaches 32°F or colder: 2.3 days at Orlando Sanford Airport, 1.6 days at Orlando International Airport, and 1.2 days at Orlando Executive Airport. Of the three stations, Sanford's is the coldest and Orlando Executive, closest to downtown, the mildest.
NOAA NCEI climate normals 1991–2020, days with a low of 32°F or colder
Source: NOAA NCEI
Freezes cluster in January. The same NOAA data gives even odds of the first 32°F night by about January 9 at Sanford, and of the last one by about January 24.
Typical freeze window (50% odds), NOAA 1991–2020
| Station | First 32°F night | Last 32°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando Sanford Airport | Around Jan 9 | Around Jan 24 |
| Orlando International Airport | Around Jan 10 | Around Jan 25 |
What's the difference between a freeze and a hard freeze?
How cold and for how long. The National Weather Service says a hard freeze happens when the air reaches 28°F or lower for an extended time. A Freeze Warning goes out when temperatures are expected to drop below freezing over a large area for an extended period. For Seminole and Orange counties, those alerts come from the NWS office in Melbourne. A Freeze Warning is your cue to do the outdoor checks below that afternoon.
Which pipes are most at risk in a Florida house?
Anything outdoors or above ground. The parts that take the cold first are the hose bibs on outside walls, the irrigation backflow preventer if yours stands above ground, the well pump and pressure tank if you're on a well, and any pipe running through an unheated garage, attic or pump house.
Seminole County Utilities requires backflow assemblies on the customer's side of the meter and wants them tested every year. A failed assembly has to be repaired within 20 days of the notice, so a cracked one in January is a real chore. See backflow preventers for how those rules work.
What can you do the afternoon before a freeze?
The National Weather Service's own advice is short: take precautions so your water pipes don't freeze. It doesn't list methods, and none of the local utilities we checked publish freeze steps for backflow preventers either. These are common household habits, not agency rules:
- Disconnect garden hoses from the hose bibs and drain them.
- Cover exposed hose bibs and above-ground pipes with an insulated cover or wrap.
- Open sink cabinet doors on outside walls so room heat reaches the pipes.
- Some households leave a faucet on a slow drip through the coldest hours.
For the backflow preventer or the well equipment, ask your water utility or a licensed plumber what they recommend for your model. On a well, your part of any electrical job is the breaker; pump and pressure switch wiring is for a licensed electrician. Know where your main shutoff is too. FEMA's emergency booklet tells families to learn how to close it ahead of time, and a freeze night is when you'll be glad you did. Our before a hurricane page explains finding it.
Should you heat the house with the oven or a gas stove?
No. The Florida Department of Health puts a gas range or oven on its never-for-heat list, because of carbon monoxide. If a CO alarm sounds or someone turns dizzy or sick, move everyone out of the house before anything else. Once outdoors, dial 911, and ring the gas company as well when the home runs gas appliances. Our page on generators and carbon monoxide covers where alarms belong.
How do you check for a hidden leak after a freeze?
Read the meter. After the thaw, shut off all water use in the house and yard, lift the meter lid and check its flow indicator (the county describes a dial, triangle or wheel). Per Seminole County's leak page, movement with nothing running means a leak. Then shut your own valve; continued movement points to a break in the yard line before the house.
EPA WaterSense offers a two-hour version: write down the reading, run nothing for that stretch, and compare. Any change probably means a leak. A split pipe under the slab won't show in the yard, so see slab leaks and high water bills if the numbers keep climbing.
What if a pipe bursts?
Close the main shutoff first, then call a licensed plumber. Check the license on the state's site before anyone starts work; our notes on hiring a plumber show how. A break at or before the meter is the utility's job; Seminole County Utilities says it is responsible up to and including the meter.
Readers often ask
Do I really need to drip my faucets in Central Florida?
No local agency we checked publishes a rule on it. It's a common habit on hard-freeze nights, but the pipes most likely to freeze here are the ones outdoors, so start with hoses, hose bibs and the backflow preventer.
What temperature counts as a hard freeze?
The National Weather Service defines a hard freeze as 28°F or lower for an extended time.
Should I wrap my backflow preventer?
We found no published local instructions on it. Ask your water utility or a licensed plumber how to protect your model, and remember Seminole County gives 20 days to repair one that fails its test.
Does Sanford get colder than Orlando?
On average, yes. NOAA counts 2.3 freeze days a year at Orlando Sanford Airport against 1.6 at Orlando International and 1.2 at Orlando Executive.
Where this came from
- NOAA NCEI — Climate normals 1991–2020, Orlando Sanford Airport — freeze days and dates (Orlando International and Executive from the same dataset)
- National Weather Service — Glossary: hard freeze — 28°F definition
- National Weather Service — Glossary: freeze warning — warning definition
- National Weather Service — Cold: Before — protect water pipes
- Florida Department of Health — Emergency Preparedness and Response (PDF, 2026) — no gas stove or oven for heat; fresh air and 911
- Seminole County Water Conservation — Leaks (archived) — meter flow-indicator test
- EPA WaterSense — Fix a Leak Week — two-hour meter test
- Seminole County Utilities — Cross-Connection Control Program (archived) — backflow assemblies, annual tests, 20-day repairs, county owns up to the meter
- FEMA and American Red Cross — Food and Water in an Emergency (PDF) — knowing how to close the main valve