Will Pipes Freeze in Bath County, VA? 52 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Bath County
In a normal year Bath County, VA gets 52 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 65% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 139 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 52 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 15 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 52 nights of risk to 15 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 10/19, last around 04/26. For 20°F: 11/22 to 03/16.
How cold Bath County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 22°F; the coldest month, January, averages 20°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 15 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 21°F | 28°F | 37°F | 46°F | 54°F | 58°F | 57°F | 51°F | 39°F | 29°F | 23°F |
Bath County next to its neighbours
Highland County, VA, 36 km northeast, gets 62 nights below 20°F to Bath County's 52 nights. Rockbridge County, VA, 38 km southeast, gets 33 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath County, VA | - | 139 nights | 52 nights | 20°F |
| Highland County, VA | 36 km northeast | 153 nights | 62 nights | 18°F |
| Rockbridge County, VA | 38 km southeast | 118 nights | 33 nights | 24°F |
| Pocahontas County, WV | 38 km northwest | 156 nights | 67 nights | 17°F |
| Covington city, VA | 39 km southwest | 120 nights | 31 nights | 23°F |
| Alleghany County, VA | 40 km southwest | 120 nights | 31 nights | 23°F |
| Lexington city, VA | 41 km southeast | 119 nights | 34 nights | 23°F |
Bath County within VA
Bath County ranks 2 of 133 VA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Highland County, VA at 62 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Norfolk city, VA: 4 nights, winter lows near 35°F. At 2,510 ft, Bath County sits 2,062 ft above the state's median county elevation of 448 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.
At this many nights, foam alone is not the answer: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Hot Springs, VA, 12 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.