Will Pipes Freeze in Hamilton County, FL? 1 night a Year
Freeze nights in Hamilton County
In a normal year Hamilton County, FL gets 1 night at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 8% of US counties.
Risk level: Rare. The risk season runs January to January, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 30 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 1 night |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | none |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 1 night of risk to none. 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 11/22, last around 03/11. For 20°F: 01/11 to 01/24.
How cold Hamilton County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 41°F; the coldest month, January, averages 39°F overnight. 5 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39°F | 42°F | 46°F | 53°F | 60°F | 68°F | 70°F | 70°F | 67°F | 57°F | 46°F | 41°F |
Hamilton County next to its neighbours
Clinch County, GA, 52 km northeast, gets 3 nights below 20°F to Hamilton County's 1 night. Columbia County, FL, 44 km southeast, gets under 1 night.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, FL | - | 30 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| Echols County, GA | 25 km north | 25 nights | 1 night | 39°F |
| Suwannee County, FL | 35 km south | 20 nights | under 1 night | 44°F |
| Columbia County, FL | 44 km southeast | 15 nights | under 1 night | 41°F |
| Lowndes County, GA | 48 km northwest | 22 nights | under 1 night | 39°F |
| Madison County, FL | 50 km west | 24 nights | 1 night | 40°F |
| Clinch County, GA | 52 km northeast | 38 nights | 3 nights | 39°F |
Hamilton County within FL
Hamilton County ranks 6 of 67 FL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Holmes County, FL at 2 nights, with a 40°F average winter low. The fewest is Broward County, FL: none, winter lows near 60°F. At 123 ft, Hamilton County sits 70 ft above the state's median county elevation of 54 ft.
What to do here
- Watch the forecast for a sub-threshold night.
- That night: drip the faucet on an outside wall, open the sink cabinet.
Why rare cold catches people out - freezes in places that rarely freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Jasper, FL, 3 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.