Will Pipes Freeze in Cherokee County, AL? 12 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Cherokee County
In a normal year Cherokee County, AL gets 12 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 29% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs November to February, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 75 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 12 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 12 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 10/31, last around 04/06. For 20°F: 12/08 to 02/24.
How cold Cherokee 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 under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 32°F | 39°F | 46°F | 55°F | 64°F | 67°F | 66°F | 60°F | 48°F | 37°F | 32°F |
Cherokee County next to its neighbours
Etowah County, AL, 35 km west, gets 7 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, AL | - | 75 nights | 12 nights | 29°F |
| Etowah County, AL | 35 km west | 56 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| Calhoun County, AL | 37 km southwest | 58 nights | 7 nights | 33°F |
| Polk County, GA | 44 km east | 69 nights | 10 nights | 32°F |
| DeKalb County, AL | 46 km north | 66 nights | 12 nights | 31°F |
| Floyd County, GA | 46 km northeast | 66 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Cleburne County, AL | 46 km south | 71 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
Cherokee County within AL
Cherokee County ranks 7 of 67 AL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Marion County, AL at 23 nights, with a 31°F average winter low. The fewest is Mobile County, AL: under 1 night, winter lows near 43°F. At 599 ft, Cherokee County sits 164 ft above the state's median county elevation of 435 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.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Centre, AL, 9 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.