Will Pipes Freeze in Dickson County, TN? 26 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Dickson County
In a normal year Dickson County, TN gets 26 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 42% 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 | 92 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 26 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 5 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 26 nights of risk to 5 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 10/25, last around 04/13. For 20°F: 11/28 to 03/05.
How cold Dickson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 29°F; the coldest month, January, averages 27°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: 5 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27°F | 30°F | 37°F | 45°F | 54°F | 63°F | 67°F | 65°F | 58°F | 46°F | 36°F | 30°F |
Dickson County next to its neighbours
Houston County, TN, 34 km northwest, gets 22 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickson County, TN | - | 92 nights | 26 nights | 27°F |
| Cheatham County, TN | 27 km northeast | 94 nights | 26 nights | 27°F |
| Houston County, TN | 34 km northwest | 82 nights | 22 nights | 26°F |
| Hickman County, TN | 39 km south | 88 nights | 24 nights | 28°F |
| Montgomery County, TN | 39 km north | 83 nights | 18 nights | 28°F |
| Humphreys County, TN | 40 km west | 77 nights | 18 nights | 27°F |
| Williamson County, TN | 50 km southeast | 86 nights | 22 nights | 28°F |
Dickson County within TN
Dickson County ranks 17 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 731 ft, Dickson County sits 136 ft below 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.
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 Dickson, TN, 8 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.