Will Pipes Freeze in Lake County, TN? 17 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Lake County
In a normal year Lake County, TN gets 17 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 33% 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 | 77 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 17 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 3 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 17 nights of risk to 3 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 11/07, last around 03/25. For 20°F: 12/19 to 02/18.
How cold Lake County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 31°F | 39°F | 49°F | 59°F | 67°F | 71°F | 68°F | 61°F | 49°F | 39°F | 32°F |
Lake County next to its neighbours
Obion County, TN, 30 km east, gets 21 nights below 20°F to Lake County's 17 nights. Pemiscot County, MO, 30 km southwest, gets 14 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, TN | - | 77 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Pemiscot County, MO | 30 km southwest | 73 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Obion County, TN | 30 km east | 86 nights | 21 nights | 27°F |
| Dyer County, TN | 32 km south | 72 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| New Madrid County, MO | 33 km northwest | 72 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Fulton County, KY | 36 km northeast | 86 nights | 20 nights | 27°F |
| Dunklin County, MO | 55 km west | 81 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
Lake County within TN
Lake County ranks 71 of 95 TN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Johnson County, TN at 41 nights, with a 25°F average winter low. The fewest is Hamilton County, TN: 9 nights, winter lows near 34°F. At 285 ft, Lake County sits 582 ft below the state's median county elevation of 867 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 Portageville, MO, 21 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.