Will Pipes Freeze in Fairfield County, SC? 8 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Fairfield County
In a normal year Fairfield County, SC gets 8 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 23% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs December to February, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 65 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 8 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 8 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 11/06, last around 03/31. For 20°F: 12/27 to 02/11.
How cold Fairfield County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 31°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31°F | 33°F | 39°F | 48°F | 57°F | 65°F | 69°F | 68°F | 62°F | 50°F | 39°F | 33°F |
Fairfield County next to its neighbours
Chester County, SC, 33 km north, gets 15 nights below 20°F to Fairfield County's 8 nights. Richland County, SC, 46 km southeast, gets 3 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield County, SC | - | 65 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Chester County, SC | 33 km north | 82 nights | 15 nights | 30°F |
| Newberry County, SC | 45 km west | 63 nights | 9 nights | 31°F |
| Richland County, SC | 46 km southeast | 36 nights | 3 nights | 36°F |
| Kershaw County, SC | 50 km east | 63 nights | 6 nights | 31°F |
| Lancaster County, SC | 51 km northeast | 58 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| Union County, SC | 55 km northwest | 70 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
Fairfield County within SC
Fairfield County ranks 11 of 46 SC counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Cherokee County, SC at 18 nights, with a 28°F average winter low. The fewest is Charleston County, SC: under 1 night, winter lows near 45°F. At 423 ft, Fairfield County sits 162 ft above the state's median county elevation of 260 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.
Whether foam sleeves are enough here: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Winnsboro, SC, 5 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.