Will Pipes Freeze in Chatham County, GA? under 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Chatham County
In a normal year Chatham County, GA 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 6% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs January to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 21 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 |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from under 1 night of risk to none. 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 11/30, last around 03/02. For 20°F: 01/12 to 01/16.
How cold Chatham County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 42°F; the coldest month, January, averages 40°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40°F | 43°F | 49°F | 55°F | 64°F | 71°F | 74°F | 73°F | 69°F | 59°F | 48°F | 43°F |
Chatham County next to its neighbours
Jasper County, SC, 50 km north, gets 2 nights below 20°F to Chatham County's under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham County, GA | - | 21 nights | under 1 night | 40°F |
| Bryan County, GA | 34 km west | 22 nights | under 1 night | 40°F |
| Liberty County, GA | 40 km southwest | 20 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Effingham County, GA | 49 km northwest | 27 nights | 1 night | 38°F |
| Jasper County, SC | 50 km north | 26 nights | 2 nights | 39°F |
| Beaufort County, SC | 56 km northeast | 13 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| McIntosh County, GA | 61 km southwest | 11 nights | under 1 night | 43°F |
Chatham County within GA
Chatham County ranks 153 of 159 GA counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Union County, GA at 28 nights, with a 27°F average winter low. The fewest is Glynn County, GA: under 1 night, winter lows near 46°F. At 18 ft, Chatham County sits 402 ft below the state's median county elevation of 420 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.
Why rare cold catches people out - freezes 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 Savannah International Airport, GA, 20 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.