Will Pipes Freeze in Haywood County, NC? 38 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Haywood County
In a normal year Haywood County, NC gets 38 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 54% 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 | 123 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 38 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 7 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 38 nights of risk to 7 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 10/14, last around 04/30. For 20°F: 11/11 to 03/21.
How cold Haywood County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, December: 7 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 26°F | 32°F | 39°F | 48°F | 56°F | 60°F | 59°F | 53°F | 40°F | 31°F | 26°F |
Haywood County next to its neighbours
Swain County, NC, 44 km west, gets 49 nights below 20°F to Haywood County's 38 nights. Jackson County, NC, 33 km southwest, gets 26 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haywood County, NC | - | 123 nights | 38 nights | 24°F |
| Jackson County, NC | 33 km southwest | 105 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Buncombe County, NC | 41 km east | 82 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Transylvania County, NC | 42 km south | 94 nights | 22 nights | 27°F |
| Cocke County, TN | 42 km north | 81 nights | 15 nights | 29°F |
| Madison County, NC | 42 km northeast | 112 nights | 34 nights | 25°F |
| Swain County, NC | 44 km west | 121 nights | 49 nights | 22°F |
Haywood County within NC
Haywood County ranks 5 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 3,270 ft, Haywood County sits 2,797 ft above 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 Waynesville (1 mi E), NC, 8 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.