Cold nights around here
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Bonners Ferry weather station put the average January low at 23.7°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Bonners Ferry station (monthly). January normal low checked in the station's monthly normals, Oct 28, 2026.
The same records count nearly 147 days a year with a low of 32°F or colder, and about 3 with a low of 0°F or colder.
Source: NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Bonners Ferry station (annual). Days with lows of 32°F or colder and 0°F or colder checked in the station's annual normals, Oct 28, 2026.
Who you need first depends on where your water comes from. In Bonners Ferry, the city runs the water system.
The city's Outages page lists its line for reporting an issue, plus a text command, Water Leak, for reporting a leak.
Source: City of Bonners Ferry, Outages. Reporting line and the Water Leak text command checked on the city's Outages page, Oct 28, 2026.
Frozen pipes in the house: who to hire
Pipes inside the house are a plumber's job. See the local plumbing businesses, and look up any license on DOPL's public license search.
When you reach a plumber, say where the pipe runs: an outside wall, a crawl space, the garage. It helps them bring the right parts.
Wells, septic lines and power outages
On a private well and septic system, the pipes, pump and tank on the place are your own. Each part has its own kind of business.
- A frozen well, pump or pressure tank: the local well and pump businesses.
- A frozen septic line: the local septic businesses.
- Insulation in a crawl space or attic: the local insulation businesses.
- The power is out: our power outage page shows which utility serves your area and where to report an outage.
Thawing and preventing frozen pipes: official advice
This guide doesn't give thawing or prevention steps. These official pages do. Each one was last checked on the date shown.
- American Red Cross: Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes. Last checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Ready.gov, from FEMA: Winter Weather, on getting a home ready for the cold. Last checked Oct 28, 2026.
Ask before you hire
Five questions for a plumber when a pipe freezes. Tick them off as you go.
Sources
| Source | What was checked | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Bonners Ferry station (monthly) | January normal low checked in the station's monthly normals | Oct 28, 2026 |
| NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Bonners Ferry station (annual) | Days with lows of 32°F or colder and 0°F or colder checked in the station's annual normals | Oct 28, 2026 |
| City of Bonners Ferry, Utilities | Services and the after-hours contact checked on the city's Utilities page | Oct 28, 2026 |
| City of Bonners Ferry, Outages | Reporting line and the Water Leak text command checked on the city's Outages page | Oct 28, 2026 |
| American Red Cross, Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes | Thawing and prevention page checked; linked only | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Ready.gov, Winter Weather (last updated March 10, 2026) | Home cold-weather preparation checked on Ready.gov's winter page; linked only | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Idaho DOPL, Plumbing Frequently Asked Questions | Permit rule checked on DOPL's plumbing questions page | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Idaho DOPL, State Plumbing Board | Public license search link checked on DOPL's plumbing page | Oct 28, 2026 |