Will Pipes Freeze in Carter County, TN? 39 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Carter County
In a normal year Carter County, TN gets 39 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 54% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. 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 | 118 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 39 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 10 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 39 nights of risk to 10 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 10/12, last around 04/30. For 20°F: 11/11 to 03/26.
How cold Carter County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 23°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: 10 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23°F | 26°F | 31°F | 39°F | 48°F | 56°F | 59°F | 58°F | 52°F | 41°F | 31°F | 26°F |
Carter County next to its neighbours
Avery County, NC, 30 km southeast, gets 44 nights below 20°F to Carter County's 39 nights. Sullivan County, TN, 29 km northwest, gets 22 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County, TN | - | 118 nights | 39 nights | 23°F |
| Sullivan County, TN | 29 km northwest | 93 nights | 22 nights | 26°F |
| Avery County, NC | 30 km southeast | 122 nights | 44 nights | 22°F |
| Johnson County, TN | 30 km northeast | 124 nights | 41 nights | 23°F |
| Mitchell County, NC | 30 km south | 111 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Washington County, TN | 33 km west | 96 nights | 23 nights | 25°F |
| Unicoi County, TN | 33 km southwest | 103 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
Carter County within TN
Carter County ranks 2 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 3,052 ft, Carter County sits 2,184 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Roan Mountain (3 mi SW), TN, 14 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.