Will Pipes Freeze in Fayette County, IL? 36 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Fayette County
In a normal year Fayette County, IL gets 36 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 52% 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 | 107 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 36 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 13 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 36 nights of risk to 13 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 10/24, last around 04/03. For 20°F: 11/29 to 03/07.
How cold Fayette County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 24°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°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: 13 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 25°F | 34°F | 44°F | 55°F | 64°F | 67°F | 64°F | 56°F | 44°F | 35°F | 26°F |
Fayette County next to its neighbours
Effingham County, IL, 37 km east, gets 40 nights below 20°F to Fayette County's 36 nights. Bond County, IL, 38 km west, gets 35 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, IL | - | 107 nights | 36 nights | 21°F |
| Effingham County, IL | 37 km east | 112 nights | 40 nights | 20°F |
| Bond County, IL | 38 km west | 103 nights | 35 nights | 21°F |
| Marion County, IL | 40 km south | 102 nights | 34 nights | 21°F |
| Shelby County, IL | 47 km northeast | 113 nights | 41 nights | 19°F |
| Montgomery County, IL | 47 km northwest | 103 nights | 35 nights | 21°F |
| Clay County, IL | 54 km southeast | 105 nights | 35 nights | 22°F |
Fayette County within IL
Fayette County ranks 71 of 102 IL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Jo Daviess County, IL at 76 nights, with a 14°F average winter low. The fewest is Alexander County, IL: 21 nights, winter lows near 29°F. At 527 ft, Fayette County sits 104 ft below the state's median county elevation of 632 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 Brownstown (4 mi SW), IL, 7 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.