Will Pipes Freeze in Gates County, NC? 19 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Gates County
In a normal year Gates County, NC gets 19 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 36% 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 | 85 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 19 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 3 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 19 nights of risk to 3 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 11/02, last around 04/07. For 20°F: 12/16 to 02/25.
How cold Gates County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 30°F | 36°F | 45°F | 54°F | 62°F | 67°F | 65°F | 60°F | 48°F | 37°F | 31°F |
Gates County next to its neighbours
Hertford County, NC, 26 km west, gets 12 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gates County, NC | - | 85 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
| Hertford County, NC | 26 km west | 80 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Suffolk city, VA | 29 km north | 64 nights | 9 nights | 30°F |
| Franklin city, VA | 34 km northwest | 79 nights | 13 nights | 30°F |
| Chowan County, NC | 36 km south | 48 nights | 5 nights | 34°F |
| Perquimans County, NC | 40 km southeast | 52 nights | 5 nights | 34°F |
| Pasquotank County, NC | 44 km southeast | 54 nights | 6 nights | 33°F |
Gates County within NC
Gates County ranks 24 of 100 NC counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Swain County, NC at 49 nights, with a 24°F average winter low. The fewest is Carteret County, NC: 3 nights, winter lows near 39°F. At 31 ft, Gates County sits 442 ft below the state's median county elevation of 473 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 Holland (1 mi E), VA, 27 km away (fair 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.