Will Pipes Freeze in Cherokee County, NC? 23 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Cherokee County
In a normal year Cherokee County, NC gets 23 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 39% 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 | 103 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 23 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 4 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 23 nights of risk to 4 nights. 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 10/20, last around 04/22. For 20°F: 11/25 to 03/11.
How cold Cherokee County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, January, averages 26°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, February, December: 4 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26°F | 28°F | 34°F | 41°F | 51°F | 59°F | 63°F | 62°F | 56°F | 43°F | 33°F | 29°F |
Cherokee County next to its neighbours
Graham County, NC, 31 km northeast, gets 24 nights below 20°F to Cherokee County's 23 nights. Clay County, NC, 30 km east, gets 21 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, NC | - | 103 nights | 23 nights | 26°F |
| Clay County, NC | 30 km east | 103 nights | 21 nights | 25°F |
| Graham County, NC | 31 km northeast | 100 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
| Union County, GA | 34 km south | 104 nights | 28 nights | 25°F |
| Fannin County, GA | 38 km southwest | 93 nights | 22 nights | 27°F |
| Monroe County, TN | 39 km northwest | 86 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
| Towns County, GA | 40 km southeast | 91 nights | 22 nights | 26°F |
Cherokee County within NC
Cherokee County ranks 18 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 1,753 ft, Cherokee County sits 1,280 ft above 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.
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 Murphy (4 mi ESE), NC, 11 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.