Will Pipes Freeze in Greene County, NC? 6 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Greene County
In a normal year Greene County, NC gets 6 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 21% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs January to February, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 59 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 6 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 6 nights of risk to under 1 night. 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 11/12, last around 03/26. For 20°F: 01/01 to 02/07.
How cold Greene County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 34°F; the coldest month, January, averages 32°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January: under 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32°F | 34°F | 40°F | 49°F | 58°F | 67°F | 71°F | 69°F | 63°F | 51°F | 41°F | 35°F |
Greene County next to its neighbours
Edgecombe County, NC, 49 km north, gets 8 nights below 20°F to Greene County's 6 nights. Lenoir County, NC, 27 km south, gets 6 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greene County, NC | - | 59 nights | 6 nights | 32°F |
| Lenoir County, NC | 27 km south | 56 nights | 6 nights | 33°F |
| Pitt County, NC | 31 km northeast | 54 nights | 6 nights | 33°F |
| Wilson County, NC | 33 km northwest | 60 nights | 5 nights | 33°F |
| Wayne County, NC | 33 km southwest | 47 nights | 4 nights | 34°F |
| Edgecombe County, NC | 49 km north | 70 nights | 8 nights | 30°F |
| Jones County, NC | 58 km southeast | 62 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
Greene County within NC
Greene County ranks 73 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 51 ft, Greene County sits 422 ft below the state's median county elevation of 473 ft.
What to do here
- Keep a night-of routine: drip, open cabinets, keep the heat at 55F or above.
- Foam-sleeve any pipe in the garage or crawlspace once; it is cheap and lasts years.
Whether foam sleeves are enough here: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Snow Hill Waste Water Treament, NC, 3 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.