Will Pipes Freeze in Jackson County, AL? 14 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Jackson County
In a normal year Jackson County, AL gets 14 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 | 76 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 14 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 14 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 10/30, last around 04/02. For 20°F: 12/09 to 02/19.
How cold Jackson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 30°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 none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30°F | 33°F | 39°F | 46°F | 56°F | 64°F | 68°F | 67°F | 60°F | 48°F | 37°F | 33°F |
Jackson County next to its neighbours
Franklin County, TN, 45 km north, gets 16 nights below 20°F to Jackson County's 14 nights. DeKalb County, AL, 37 km southeast, gets 12 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, AL | - | 76 nights | 14 nights | 30°F |
| DeKalb County, AL | 37 km southeast | 66 nights | 12 nights | 31°F |
| Dade County, GA | 44 km east | 79 nights | 14 nights | 31°F |
| Franklin County, TN | 45 km north | 74 nights | 16 nights | 30°F |
| Madison County, AL | 52 km west | 66 nights | 11 nights | 31°F |
| Marion County, TN | 53 km northeast | 85 nights | 23 nights | 27°F |
| Marshall County, AL | 59 km southwest | 48 nights | 6 nights | 33°F |
Jackson County within AL
Jackson County ranks 2 of 67 AL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Marion County, AL at 23 nights, with a 31°F average winter low. The fewest is Mobile County, AL: under 1 night, winter lows near 43°F. At 1,286 ft, Jackson County sits 851 ft above the state's median county elevation of 435 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 Scottsboro (2 mi NE), AL, 8 km away (fair 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.