Will Pipes Freeze in Fayette County, AL? 10 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Fayette County
In a normal year Fayette County, AL gets 10 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 26% 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 | 71 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 10 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 10 nights of risk to 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 11/09, last around 03/20. For 20°F: 12/31 to 01/31.
How cold Fayette County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 35°F; the coldest month, January, averages 34°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: 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34°F | 37°F | 43°F | 50°F | 59°F | 67°F | 70°F | 69°F | 63°F | 51°F | 41°F | 36°F |
Fayette County next to its neighbours
Walker County, AL, 44 km east, gets 12 nights below 20°F to Fayette County's 10 nights. Tuscaloosa County, AL, 52 km southeast, gets 4 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, AL | - | 71 nights | 10 nights | 34°F |
| Lamar County, AL | 31 km west | 66 nights | 10 nights | 33°F |
| Walker County, AL | 44 km east | 73 nights | 12 nights | 31°F |
| Marion County, AL | 48 km north | 90 nights | 23 nights | 29°F |
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | 52 km southeast | 45 nights | 4 nights | 36°F |
| Pickens County, AL | 56 km southwest | 58 nights | 7 nights | 34°F |
| Winston County, AL | 61 km northeast | 69 nights | 13 nights | 31°F |
Fayette County within AL
Fayette County ranks 20 of 67 AL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Marion County, AL at 23 nights, with a 31°F average winter low. The fewest is Mobile County, AL: under 1 night, winter lows near 43°F. At 585 ft, Fayette County sits 150 ft above the state's median county elevation of 435 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 Fayette, AL, 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.