Will Pipes Freeze in Knox County, IN? 34 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Knox County
In a normal year Knox County, IN gets 34 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 50% 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 | 105 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 34 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 11 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 34 nights of risk to 11 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 04/11. For 20°F: 11/29 to 03/09.
How cold Knox County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 22°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: 11 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22°F | 25°F | 34°F | 44°F | 55°F | 64°F | 67°F | 65°F | 57°F | 46°F | 35°F | 27°F |
Knox County next to its neighbours
Sullivan County, IN, 45 km north, gets 36 nights below 20°F to Knox County's 34 nights. Lawrence County, IL, 27 km west, gets 31 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, IN | - | 105 nights | 34 nights | 22°F |
| Lawrence County, IL | 27 km west | 98 nights | 31 nights | 21°F |
| Daviess County, IN | 30 km east | 94 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Pike County, IN | 36 km southeast | 101 nights | 32 nights | 22°F |
| Gibson County, IN | 44 km south | 101 nights | 32 nights | 21°F |
| Sullivan County, IN | 45 km north | 105 nights | 36 nights | 22°F |
| Wabash County, IL | 45 km southwest | 105 nights | 35 nights | 24°F |
Knox County within IN
Knox County ranks 75 of 92 IN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Steuben County, IN at 63 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Floyd County, IN: 19 nights, winter lows near 29°F. At 545 ft, Knox County sits 215 ft below the state's median county elevation of 759 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 Vincennes (5 mi NE), IN, 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.