Will Pipes Freeze in Calhoun County, WV? 42 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Calhoun County
In a normal year Calhoun County, WV gets 42 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 57% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs November to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 130 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 42 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 12 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 42 nights of risk to 12 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 10/20, last around 04/26. For 20°F: 11/17 to 03/25.
How cold Calhoun County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°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: 12 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 23°F | 29°F | 38°F | 49°F | 58°F | 62°F | 61°F | 54°F | 41°F | 31°F | 25°F |
Calhoun County next to its neighbours
Roane County, WV, 24 km southwest, gets 44 nights below 20°F to Calhoun County's 42 nights. Gilmer County, WV, 24 km east, gets 39 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County, WV | - | 130 nights | 42 nights | 21°F |
| Roane County, WV | 24 km southwest | 128 nights | 44 nights | 22°F |
| Gilmer County, WV | 24 km east | 126 nights | 39 nights | 22°F |
| Wirt County, WV | 30 km northwest | 135 nights | 50 nights | 20°F |
| Braxton County, WV | 37 km southeast | 119 nights | 34 nights | 22°F |
| Ritchie County, WV | 37 km north | 128 nights | 42 nights | 21°F |
| Clay County, WV | 43 km south | 121 nights | 35 nights | 22°F |
Calhoun County within WV
Calhoun County ranks 24 of 55 WV counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Tucker County, WV at 70 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Mingo County, WV: 25 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 1,027 ft, Calhoun County sits 186 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,213 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 Grantsville (1 mi ESE), WV, 8 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.