Will Pipes Freeze in Clay County, GA? 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Clay County
In a normal year Clay County, GA gets 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 8% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs January to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 32 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 1 night of risk to none. 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 11/21, last around 03/13. For 20°F: 01/10 to 01/27.
How cold Clay County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 39°F; the coldest month, January, averages 38°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38°F | 40°F | 45°F | 52°F | 61°F | 69°F | 72°F | 71°F | 67°F | 56°F | 46°F | 40°F |
Clay County next to its neighbours
Quitman County, GA, 27 km north, gets 3 nights below 20°F to Clay County's 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, GA | - | 32 nights | 1 night | 38°F |
| Henry County, AL | 26 km southwest | 30 nights | 2 nights | 39°F |
| Quitman County, GA | 27 km north | 36 nights | 3 nights | 36°F |
| Randolph County, GA | 28 km northeast | 37 nights | 3 nights | 35°F |
| Early County, GA | 34 km south | 29 nights | 1 night | 38°F |
| Calhoun County, GA | 36 km east | 36 nights | 2 nights | 37°F |
| Barbour County, AL | 48 km northwest | 44 nights | 5 nights | 37°F |
Clay County within GA
Clay County ranks 133 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 377 ft, Clay County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 420 ft.
What to do here
- Watch the forecast for a sub-threshold night.
- That night: drip the faucet on an outside wall, open the sink cabinet.
A few nights a year catches houses that were never built for it: pipes in places that rarely freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Fort Gaines 2, GA, 5 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.