Will Pipes Freeze in Grainger County, TN? 23 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Grainger County
In a normal year Grainger County, TN gets 23 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 39% 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 | 87 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 23 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 23 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 10/17, last around 04/24. For 20°F: 11/16 to 03/19.
How cold Grainger County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, January, averages 27°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: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27°F | 29°F | 35°F | 44°F | 53°F | 62°F | 65°F | 64°F | 58°F | 45°F | 35°F | 30°F |
Grainger County next to its neighbours
Claiborne County, TN, 28 km northwest, gets 32 nights below 20°F to Grainger County's 23 nights. Hamblen County, TN, 23 km east, gets 18 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grainger County, TN | - | 87 nights | 23 nights | 27°F |
| Hamblen County, TN | 23 km east | 82 nights | 18 nights | 27°F |
| Jefferson County, TN | 26 km south | 82 nights | 21 nights | 27°F |
| Claiborne County, TN | 28 km northwest | 107 nights | 32 nights | 24°F |
| Union County, TN | 29 km west | 98 nights | 24 nights | 25°F |
| Hancock County, TN | 37 km northeast | 104 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Knox County, TN | 50 km southwest | 78 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
Grainger County within TN
Grainger County ranks 34 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 1,070 ft, Grainger County sits 203 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 Jefferson City, TN, 18 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.