Will Pipes Freeze in Charleston County, SC? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Charleston County
In a normal year Charleston County, SC gets under 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 3% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 7 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | under 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 12/30, last around 02/04.
How cold Charleston County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 45°F; the coldest month, January, averages 43°F overnight. 3 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43°F | 46°F | 51°F | 59°F | 68°F | 74°F | 77°F | 76°F | 72°F | 63°F | 53°F | 46°F |
Charleston County next to its neighbours
Berkeley County, SC, 45 km north, gets 2 nights below 20°F to Charleston County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County, SC | - | 7 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
| Berkeley County, SC | 45 km north | 33 nights | 2 nights | 38°F |
| Dorchester County, SC | 53 km northwest | 45 nights | 4 nights | 35°F |
| Colleton County, SC | 67 km west | 44 nights | 3 nights | 35°F |
| Beaufort County, SC | 86 km southwest | 13 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Georgetown County, SC | 91 km northeast | 35 nights | 2 nights | 37°F |
| Williamsburg County, SC | 94 km north | 60 nights | 7 nights | 33°F |
Charleston County within SC
Charleston County ranks 46 of 46 SC counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Cherokee County, SC at 18 nights, with a 28°F average winter low. At 10 ft, Charleston County sits 251 ft below the state's median county elevation of 260 ft.
What to do here
- Watch the forecast for a sub-threshold night.
- That night: drip the faucet on an outside wall, open the sink cabinet.
A few nights a year catches houses that were never built for it: pipes in places that rarely freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Charleston City, SC, 3 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. How a county figure is built from stations: how the numbers are made.