Will Pipes Freeze in Chattooga County, GA? 14 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Chattooga County
In a normal year Chattooga County, GA gets 14 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 31% 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 | 82 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 14 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 14 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 10/30, last around 04/07. For 20°F: 12/04 to 02/25.
How cold Chattooga County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°F; the coldest month, January, averages 29°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 32°F | 38°F | 45°F | 55°F | 63°F | 67°F | 66°F | 59°F | 47°F | 36°F | 32°F |
Chattooga County next to its neighbours
Floyd County, GA, 26 km southeast, gets 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattooga County, GA | - | 82 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Floyd County, GA | 26 km southeast | 66 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Walker County, GA | 29 km north | 79 nights | 14 nights | 31°F |
| DeKalb County, AL | 42 km west | 66 nights | 12 nights | 31°F |
| Gordon County, GA | 43 km east | 69 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
| Dade County, GA | 45 km north | 79 nights | 14 nights | 31°F |
| Whitfield County, GA | 50 km northeast | 67 nights | 11 nights | 31°F |
Chattooga County within GA
Chattooga County ranks 10 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 664 ft, Chattooga County sits 244 ft above the state's median county elevation of 420 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.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Summerville, GA, 5 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.