Will Pipes Freeze in Guilford County, NC? 10 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Guilford County
In a normal year Guilford County, NC gets 10 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 26% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. 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 | 63 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 10 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 10 nights of risk to 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 11/04, last around 04/01. For 20°F: 12/16 to 02/26.
How cold Guilford County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 30°F overnight. 6 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January: 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30°F | 33°F | 39°F | 48°F | 58°F | 65°F | 71°F | 68°F | 61°F | 49°F | 39°F | 33°F |
Guilford County next to its neighbours
Rockingham County, NC, 34 km north, gets 14 nights below 20°F to Guilford County's 10 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford County, NC | - | 63 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
| Rockingham County, NC | 34 km north | 86 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Alamance County, NC | 35 km east | 77 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Randolph County, NC | 41 km south | 66 nights | 9 nights | 29°F |
| Forsyth County, NC | 42 km west | 69 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
| Davidson County, NC | 49 km southwest | 84 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Caswell County, NC | 53 km northeast | 85 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
Guilford County within NC
Guilford County ranks 51 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 800 ft, Guilford County sits 327 ft above 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.
Few hard nights means pipes are rarely built for them; see freezes in warm places.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Greensboro Water Plant, NC, 2 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.