Will Pipes Freeze in Iredell County, NC? 23 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Iredell County
In a normal year Iredell County, NC gets 23 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 39% 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 | 99 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 23 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 23 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 04/16. For 20°F: 11/29 to 03/07.
How cold Iredell County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, January, averages 26°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26°F | 28°F | 35°F | 44°F | 54°F | 63°F | 67°F | 65°F | 59°F | 46°F | 34°F | 29°F |
Iredell County next to its neighbours
Davie County, NC, 33 km northeast, gets 30 nights below 20°F to Iredell County's 23 nights. Alexander County, NC, 30 km northwest, gets 9 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iredell County, NC | - | 99 nights | 23 nights | 26°F |
| Alexander County, NC | 30 km northwest | 67 nights | 9 nights | 29°F |
| Davie County, NC | 33 km northeast | 111 nights | 30 nights | 25°F |
| Catawba County, NC | 35 km southwest | 59 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Rowan County, NC | 37 km southeast | 80 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
| Yadkin County, NC | 43 km northeast | 105 nights | 25 nights | 25°F |
| Lincoln County, NC | 48 km southwest | 76 nights | 14 nights | 30°F |
Iredell County within NC
Iredell County ranks 17 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 789 ft, Iredell County sits 316 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 Statesville (2 mi NNE), NC, 1 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.