Will Pipes Freeze in Kanawha County, WV? 26 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Kanawha County
In a normal year Kanawha County, WV gets 26 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 42% 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 | 100 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 26 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 26 nights of risk to 6 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 10/26, last around 04/16. For 20°F: 12/01 to 03/08.
How cold Kanawha County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, January, averages 25°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, February, December: 6 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 28°F | 34°F | 43°F | 53°F | 61°F | 65°F | 64°F | 57°F | 45°F | 35°F | 29°F |
Kanawha County next to its neighbours
Boone County, WV, 38 km southwest, gets 33 nights below 20°F to Kanawha County's 26 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County, WV | - | 100 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Boone County, WV | 38 km southwest | 116 nights | 33 nights | 24°F |
| Putnam County, WV | 39 km northwest | 104 nights | 27 nights | 24°F |
| Clay County, WV | 41 km east | 121 nights | 35 nights | 22°F |
| Roane County, WV | 48 km north | 128 nights | 44 nights | 22°F |
| Fayette County, WV | 51 km southeast | 118 nights | 37 nights | 22°F |
| Lincoln County, WV | 51 km west | 120 nights | 37 nights | 23°F |
Kanawha County within WV
Kanawha County ranks 54 of 55 WV counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Tucker County, WV at 70 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Mingo County, WV: 25 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 1,178 ft, Kanawha County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 1,213 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 Charleston Yeager Airport, WV, 8 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.