Will Pipes Freeze in Fentress County, TN? 27 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Fentress County
In a normal year Fentress County, TN gets 27 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 43% 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 | 96 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 27 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 27 nights of risk to 6 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 10/23, last around 04/17. For 20°F: 11/23 to 03/11.
How cold Fentress County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, January, averages 26°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, December: 6 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26°F | 29°F | 35°F | 44°F | 53°F | 60°F | 64°F | 63°F | 56°F | 45°F | 35°F | 29°F |
Fentress County next to its neighbours
Morgan County, TN, 37 km southeast, gets 29 nights below 20°F to Fentress County's 27 nights. Pickett County, TN, 24 km northwest, gets 24 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fentress County, TN | - | 96 nights | 27 nights | 26°F |
| Pickett County, TN | 24 km northwest | 94 nights | 24 nights | 27°F |
| Overton County, TN | 31 km west | 90 nights | 23 nights | 27°F |
| Morgan County, TN | 37 km southeast | 107 nights | 29 nights | 26°F |
| Scott County, TN | 39 km east | 116 nights | 33 nights | 24°F |
| Clinton County, KY | 44 km northwest | 98 nights | 26 nights | 26°F |
| Cumberland County, TN | 47 km south | 88 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
Fentress County within TN
Fentress County ranks 14 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 1,650 ft, Fentress County sits 783 ft above 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.
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 Allardt, TN, 6 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.