Will Pipes Freeze in Blount County, TN? 13 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Blount County
In a normal year Blount County, TN gets 13 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 30% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 75 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 13 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 13 nights of risk to 2 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 11/02, last around 04/01. For 20°F: 12/16 to 02/20.
How cold Blount County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°F; the coldest month, January, averages 29°F overnight. 7 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January: 2 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 32°F | 38°F | 46°F | 55°F | 63°F | 66°F | 65°F | 59°F | 47°F | 37°F | 32°F |
Blount County next to its neighbours
Knox County, TN, 34 km north, gets 15 nights below 20°F to Blount County's 13 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blount County, TN | - | 75 nights | 13 nights | 29°F |
| Knox County, TN | 34 km north | 78 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
| Loudon County, TN | 36 km west | 76 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Sevier County, TN | 38 km east | 97 nights | 21 nights | 27°F |
| Graham County, NC | 39 km south | 100 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
| Monroe County, TN | 40 km southwest | 86 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
| Swain County, NC | 43 km east | 121 nights | 49 nights | 22°F |
Blount County within TN
Blount County ranks 91 of 95 TN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Johnson County, TN at 41 nights, with a 25°F average winter low. The fewest is Hamilton County, TN: 9 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 1,120 ft, Blount County sits 253 ft above the state's median county elevation of 867 ft.
What to do here
- Insulate every pipe in unheated space before the season starts.
- Heat tape on the runs you cannot insulate well.
- Shut off and drain outdoor spigots for the season.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport, TN, 16 km away (close 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.