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5 Pipes That Freeze First in a Las Vegas Cold Snap

Prices updated November 2026

It is 7 a.m., the sprinkler line by the driveway is spraying, and the gutter wears a sheet of ice. Las Vegas pipes do freeze, and the ones outside go first. Those are the backflow device, the hose bibs, the sprinkler lines, the pool pipes and the swamp cooler line. A towel and a few minutes before the first freeze warning cost far less than the repair.

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Plaster wall broken open around corroded pipes, with crumbled plaster on the floor
A wall opened up to reach a pipe that burst inside it. Photo by Pictureme, CC0
  • Clark County puts the danger line at 32 F, not the 20 F in most national advice.
  • The airport logged 31 freezing nights in the last 10 winters, and none last winter. That lull is the trap.
  • The airport has not reached 20 F since December 22, 1998. One plumber still took about 400 freeze calls in January 2013.
  • Insulate a backflow device, but never block its ports.
  • Leaving for the holidays? Keep the heat at 55 F or more, or shut off the water and drain the lines.

How Often Las Vegas Really Freezes

Clark County Fire says a temperature of 32 degrees or less in the desert can freeze pipes and burst them. So I took that line and counted every night at or below it in the daily record for the Las Vegas airport series, which runs from 1937 through November 5, 2026. The counts below are ours. The National Weather Service NOWData tool serves the same record if you want to check them.

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals list about 11 nights a year at 32 F or colder. The last 30 winters averaged 7.2. The last 10 averaged 3.1, and two of the last six had none at all.

Freezing Nights at the Las Vegas Airport, Last 10 Winters

2016 to 20175 2017 to 20181 2018 to 20195 2019 to 20202 2020 to 20210 2021 to 20226 2022 to 20236 2023 to 20243 2024 to 20253 2025 to 20260
Our count of nights at 32 F or colder in the daily record for the Las Vegas airport series, 31 nights in all. Each winter runs July through June. Your yard can run colder.

That is why people drop their guard. A homeowner who moved here in the summer of 2023 has seen six freezing nights at the airport, none colder than 29 F. The cold still comes back. Winter 2006 to 2007 had 15 freezing nights and winter 2012 to 2013 had 14.

When to Watch

Of the 217 freezing nights in the last 30 winters, 103 fell in December and 77 in January. February had 26, November 9 and March 2. The earliest was November 17, 2000. The latest was March 4, 2002. NOAA puts the median first freeze at December 10, so the middle of November is the time to get ready.

The airport is also not your yard. In December 2017 the weather service warned that parts of Henderson and the west side could dip below freezing while much of the valley stayed in the mid 30s, the Las Vegas Sun reported. The airport low that morning was 42 F. If you live toward the edge of the valley, a mild airport forecast may not cover you.

The Cold Nights to Remember

  1. 13 nightsDecember 21, 1990 to January 2, 1991, all at 25 F or colder, with a low of 11 F on December 23.
  2. 20 FDecember 22, 1998, the last night at 20 F or colder.
  3. 23 FJanuary 14, 2007, in the cold snap that burst landscaping pipes.
  4. 23 FJanuary 13 and 15, 2013, the last nights at 25 F or colder.
  5. 28 FJanuary 2, 2022, the last night at 28 F or colder.
  6. 34 FThe coldest night of winter 2025 to 2026, the second winter in six with no freeze.
Our reading of the daily record for the Las Vegas airport series, 1937 through November 5, 2026. The 2007 pipe breaks are from Insurance Journal.

5 Pipes That Freeze First

Water in an exposed outdoor line has nothing around it to hold heat. The Red Cross names hose bibs, pool supply lines and sprinkler lines as the pipes that freeze most often. In the valley, I would check them in this order.

  1. The backflow device. This is the pipe and valve assembly standing out in the yard or by the wall. A Las Vegas plumber told KTNV that the pressure vacuum breaker is the most vulnerable part in a freeze. The Southern Nevada Water Authority says to insulate it with a cover, or even an old towel and a bucket, and not to block or seal the ports.
  2. Hose bibs. The Red Cross says to drain and store hoses, close the inside valve that feeds the bib if you have one, and leave the outside tap open so any water left can expand. Clark County says to wrap or cover the bib.
  3. Exposed sprinkler parts. Clark County names irrigation boxes and valves. In the January 2007 cold snap, landscaping pipes burst in some neighborhoods and flooded roads, leaving icy patches that sent cars into curbs, Insurance Journal reported.
  4. Pool pipes. Clark County says to run the pool circulation system when freezing or near freezing temperatures are forecast, and to cover exposed pool pipes. A valley plumber told the Sun the pump has to be on and moving water, or the pipes can break and a pump started on frozen water can burn up.
  5. Swamp cooler lines. The same plumber told the Sun that homes with swamp coolers should turn them off and drain them.

Indoor lines are lower on the list, not off it. The Red Cross also names pipes in attics, garages and kitchen cabinets, and pipes against poorly insulated outside walls. The plumber in the Sun's story recalled a customer's home that iced over when an attic pipe burst while the family was away for winter.

What to Do Before the First Freeze Warning

Most of this costs nothing. Do it once in November, then keep the towels where you can find them in the dark.

  1. Find your main shutoff. The Southern Nevada Water Authority says knowing how to stop the water can limit the damage from a burst line. Make sure everyone in the house can turn it.
  2. Disconnect and drain the hoses. Then cover the hose bibs.
  3. Wrap every exposed pipe. Clark County says insulation or layers of newspaper, with plastic over them to keep out moisture. The water authority adds pipe insulation, faucet socks or a towel held with duct tape.
  4. Cover the backflow device, leaving the ports clear.
  5. Check the irrigation clock. Clark County says to turn off the outdoor sprinkler system when it freezes. The water authority's rule limits landscape watering to one assigned day a week from November 1 through February 28, so most of these nights need no water anyway.
  6. Set the pool to circulate overnight when a freeze is in the forecast, and follow the maker's guide for your equipment.
  7. On very cold nights, open the cabinets and let a faucet trickle if exposed pipes feed it. The Red Cross also says to keep the thermostat at one setting day and night.

If you are leaving town, keep the heat at 55 F or higher. The Red Cross and the water authority both use that number. A second home needs a plan for this too, because the attic story above happened to a family who was simply gone for the winter.

How to Thaw a Frozen Pipe

A trickle from a faucet that normally runs strong is the first clue, the Red Cross says. Every step below comes from its guide.

  1. Leave the faucet open. Water moving through will help melt the ice.
  2. Add gentle heat to that section of pipe. Use an electric heating pad, a hair dryer, a space heater kept away from anything that can burn, or towels soaked in hot water.
  3. Never use an open flame. That rules out a blowtorch, a kerosene or propane heater, and a charcoal stove.
  4. Keep the heat on until full pressure returns. Then test the other faucets, because one frozen pipe often means more.
  5. Call a licensed plumber if you cannot find the frozen spot, cannot reach it, or cannot thaw it.

Stay near the pipe as it warms. State Farm warns against using electrical appliances near standing water, and a split can stay hidden until the ice melts. Have your hand on the shutoff plan before the thaw starts.

Water drops hanging from a thin crack in a white textured ceiling
Water beading along a crack in a painted ceiling. Photo by atramos, CC BY 2.0

When the Pipe Already Split

State Farm says a small crack can release over 250 gallons of water a day. Shut the main valve and leave the faucets open. Our guide on what to do when a pipe bursts walks through the first hour.

An outdoor split is usually the cheap kind. Mark Larkin of Larkin Plumbing told the Sun in December 2013 that a typical freeze job ran $250 to $450, and that a repair could reach $600, not counting flood damage. Those are 2013 prices from one company, so expect more now.

The inside of the house is where the bill grows. State Farm reports more than 20,000 freeze related claims from 2024 through June 2025 with an average payment over $30,000. That figure comes from its national book, and it includes places far colder than here. Fixr's national guide, updated January 31, 2025, lists $275 to $2,200 for a wall repair and $325 to $1,100 for a ceiling, depending on the job.

If water got inside, the clock starts when the water does. The EPA says to dry water damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold. Our burst pipes and leaks page covers that work, and structural drying shows how readings decide what stays.

Standing water across a wood kitchen floor with a mop and a red bucket
Water across a kitchen floor after supply pipes inside the wall failed, May 2016. Photo by Wesagor, CC BY-SA 4.0

What Insurance Asks After a Freeze

Freezing is a named peril on most home policies. The Insurance Information Institute lists freezing of a plumbing system as covered under the HO-2 form and most others, though not the basic HO-1. It also says a policy will not pay for damage from a lack of maintenance.

One common fight is over a building left empty. A State Farm policy discussed by Merlin Law Group excludes freeze leaks unless the owner did their best to keep heat on, or else drained the system and shut off the water. In that Texas case, Barona v. State Farm Lloyds, decided in December 2025, the owner of a commercial building had turned off the heat during a renovation and did not drain the lines. The court sided with the insurer. Your own wording decides your case, so read the freeze clause before a long trip.

  • Photograph the split, the wet rooms and the thermostat setting before anything moves.
  • Keep the plumber's written finding on what failed and why.
  • Save the utility bills that show the heat was running.

If a claim stalls, the Nevada Division of Insurance answers in Las Vegas at (702) 486-4009. It can investigate and try to help resolve the problem, but it cannot force coverage or set a claim's value. More is on our insurance claim help page.

Old Advice That Stuck

Las Vegas never freezes. It froze on 217 nights in the last 30 winters at the airport alone. The stretch from December 21, 1990 to January 2, 1991 ran 13 nights in a row at 25 F or colder.

Pipes are safe until 20 F. State Farm says pipes in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls are most at risk below 20 F, and that number gets repeated as a rule for everything. It does not fit a line standing bare in a yard. The last 20 F night at the airport was in 1998, yet Larkin told the Sun he answered about 400 freeze calls in January 2013, when the coldest airport nights were 23 F. By December 11 that same year, after a low of 26 F, he had about 40 for the month. That is one company over part of a month, and the Sun credited people for wrapping their pipes. It still shows that a few degrees below 32 F can matter here.

Keep the sprinklers on so the water keeps moving. Clark County says to turn them off in a freeze, and a weather service meteorologist said the same in the 2007 cold snap. The water authority says not to water any plant in freezing temperatures and to run the system mid morning when it is warmer.

Put antifreeze in the lines. The Red Cross says not to unless the maker or installer tells you to. It harms people, pets and landscaping.

Loose Ends

At what temperature do pipes freeze in Las Vegas?

Water freezes at 32 F, and Clark County treats 32 F or less as the danger line for pipes. Exposed outdoor lines are the ones to protect at that number. State Farm aims its 20 F figure at attics, crawl spaces and outside walls, which have more shelter.

Will a frozen pipe thaw on its own?

Often, because most cold days here climb back above freezing. On January 13, 2013, the airport went from 23 F to a high of 38 F. That is also when a split starts to spray, so keep the faucet open, watch the line and know where the shutoff is.

Can PEX or plastic pipes freeze and burst?

Yes. The Red Cross says expanding water can break metal or plastic pipes. No material gets a pass.

Should I drip my faucets in Las Vegas?

Only for a faucet served by exposed pipes on a very cold night, as the Red Cross describes. A trickle is enough. Most of the valley's freeze risk sits in outdoor lines that a kitchen faucet will not help, so wrap those first.

Does a freeze warning cover my part of the valley?

Check before you assume. The Dry Vegas storm tracker shows current National Weather Service alerts for the valley. In 2017 the warning named the valley's edges, and one Clark County notice put the season's first freeze warning on Moapa Valley and Mesquite.

Who do I call first?

Shut the water off, then call a plumber for the pipe. If water reached a wall, a floor or a ceiling, call or text Dry Vegas at (702) 846-0157 and say which room and how long it ran.

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