Will Pipes Freeze in Fayette County, TN? 12 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Fayette County
In a normal year Fayette County, TN gets 12 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 29% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 70 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 12 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 12 nights of risk to 2 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 11/03, last around 03/29. For 20°F: 12/13 to 02/21.
How cold Fayette County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 30°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: 2 nights a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30°F | 33°F | 41°F | 50°F | 59°F | 67°F | 71°F | 69°F | 62°F | 49°F | 39°F | 33°F |
Fayette County next to its neighbours
Hardeman County, TN, 39 km east, gets 15 nights below 20°F to Fayette County's 12 nights. Shelby County, TN, 44 km west, gets 10 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, TN | - | 70 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Hardeman County, TN | 39 km east | 75 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
| Shelby County, TN | 44 km west | 61 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| Haywood County, TN | 45 km north | 67 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Tipton County, TN | 45 km northwest | 69 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Benton County, MS | 47 km southeast | 74 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Marshall County, MS | 49 km south | 82 nights | 20 nights | 29°F |
Fayette County within TN
Fayette County ranks 92 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 441 ft, Fayette County sits 427 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Moscow, TN, 14 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.