Will Pipes Freeze in DeKalb County, TN? 25 nights a Year
Freeze nights in DeKalb County
In a normal year DeKalb County, TN gets 25 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 41% 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 | 97 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 25 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 25 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 10/22, last around 04/18. For 20°F: 11/24 to 03/08.
How cold DeKalb County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°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 | 29°F | 35°F | 43°F | 53°F | 62°F | 66°F | 64°F | 57°F | 44°F | 34°F | 29°F |
DeKalb County next to its neighbours
Jackson County, TN, 44 km north, gets 29 nights below 20°F to DeKalb County's 25 nights. Smith County, TN, 32 km north, gets 18 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County, TN | - | 97 nights | 25 nights | 26°F |
| Cannon County, TN | 28 km southwest | 93 nights | 25 nights | 27°F |
| Smith County, TN | 32 km north | 86 nights | 18 nights | 27°F |
| Warren County, TN | 34 km south | 69 nights | 14 nights | 31°F |
| White County, TN | 35 km east | 83 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
| Putnam County, TN | 35 km northeast | 96 nights | 24 nights | 27°F |
| Jackson County, TN | 44 km north | 102 nights | 29 nights | 24°F |
DeKalb County within TN
DeKalb County ranks 20 of 95 TN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Johnson County, TN at 41 nights, with a 25°F average winter low. The fewest is Hamilton County, TN: 9 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 950 ft, DeKalb County sits 83 ft above the state's median county elevation of 867 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 Smithville (2 mi SE), TN, 6 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.