Will Pipes Freeze in Cherokee County, GA? 9 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Cherokee County
In a normal year Cherokee County, GA gets 9 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 25% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. 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 | 69 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 9 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 9 nights of risk to under 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 04/02. For 20°F: 12/21 to 02/21.
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: under 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 | 46°F | 55°F | 63°F | 67°F | 66°F | 60°F | 48°F | 37°F | 32°F |
Cherokee County next to its neighbours
Bartow County, GA, 33 km west, gets 10 nights below 20°F to Cherokee County's 9 nights. Forsyth County, GA, 32 km east, gets 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, GA | - | 69 nights | 9 nights | 29°F |
| Pickens County, GA | 24 km north | 61 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| Forsyth County, GA | 32 km east | 67 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Bartow County, GA | 33 km west | 69 nights | 10 nights | 28°F |
| Cobb County, GA | 35 km south | 64 nights | 8 nights | 32°F |
| Dawson County, GA | 35 km northeast | 61 nights | 9 nights | 31°F |
| Gordon County, GA | 47 km northwest | 69 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
Cherokee County within GA
Cherokee County ranks 22 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 879 ft, Cherokee County sits 459 ft above the state's median county elevation of 420 ft.
What to do here
- Keep a night-of routine: drip, open cabinets, keep the heat at 55F or above.
- Foam-sleeve any pipe in the garage or crawlspace once; it is cheap and lasts years.
Which pipe gets which threshold: the 32, 20, 10 and 0 rule.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Allatoona Dam 2, GA, 25 km away (fair match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.