Will Pipes Freeze in Henderson County, NC? 15 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Henderson County
In a normal year Henderson County, NC gets 15 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 31% 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 | 88 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 15 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 15 nights of risk to 2 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 10/25, last around 04/14. For 20°F: 11/30 to 03/03.
How cold Henderson 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: 2 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 | 43°F | 52°F | 60°F | 64°F | 63°F | 56°F | 45°F | 34°F | 29°F |
Henderson County next to its neighbours
Buncombe County, NC, 31 km north, gets 16 nights below 20°F to Henderson County's 15 nights. Polk County, NC, 29 km east, gets 12 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County, NC | - | 88 nights | 15 nights | 27°F |
| Polk County, NC | 29 km east | 77 nights | 12 nights | 29°F |
| Buncombe County, NC | 31 km north | 82 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Transylvania County, NC | 34 km southwest | 94 nights | 22 nights | 27°F |
| Greenville County, SC | 50 km south | 52 nights | 5 nights | 33°F |
| Rutherford County, NC | 51 km east | 96 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
| Haywood County, NC | 52 km northwest | 123 nights | 38 nights | 24°F |
Henderson County within NC
Henderson County ranks 32 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 2,183 ft, Henderson County sits 1,710 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.
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 Hendersonville (1 mi NE), NC, 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.