Will Pipes Freeze in Chatham County, NC? 11 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Chatham County
In a normal year Chatham County, NC gets 11 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 28% 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 | 74 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 11 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 11 nights of risk to 1 night. 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 11/04, last around 03/31. For 20°F: 12/26 to 02/15.
How cold Chatham County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°F; the coldest month, January, averages 30°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: 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30°F | 32°F | 38°F | 47°F | 57°F | 65°F | 70°F | 68°F | 61°F | 49°F | 38°F | 33°F |
Chatham County next to its neighbours
Lee County, NC, 26 km south, gets 12 nights below 20°F to Chatham County's 11 nights. Moore County, NC, 49 km southwest, gets 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham County, NC | - | 74 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
| Lee County, NC | 26 km south | 77 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Alamance County, NC | 40 km north | 77 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Orange County, NC | 41 km north | 74 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
| Moore County, NC | 49 km southwest | 62 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Durham County, NC | 50 km northeast | 81 nights | 11 nights | 29°F |
| Randolph County, NC | 50 km west | 66 nights | 9 nights | 29°F |
Chatham County within NC
Chatham County ranks 46 of 100 NC counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Swain County, NC at 49 nights, with a 24°F average winter low. The fewest is Carteret County, NC: 3 nights, winter lows near 39°F. At 466 ft, Chatham County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 473 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 Siler City (2 mi N), NC, 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.