Will Pipes Freeze in Lauderdale County, AL? 9 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Lauderdale County
In a normal year Lauderdale County, AL gets 9 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 24% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs November to February, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 62 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 9 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 9 nights of risk to 1 night. 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 11/03, last around 03/27. For 20°F: 12/22 to 02/11.
How cold Lauderdale County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 33°F; the coldest month, January, averages 31°F overnight. 6 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January: 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31°F | 34°F | 41°F | 49°F | 58°F | 66°F | 70°F | 69°F | 62°F | 50°F | 39°F | 34°F |
Lauderdale County next to its neighbours
Wayne County, TN, 41 km north, gets 25 nights below 20°F to Lauderdale County's 9 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauderdale County, AL | - | 62 nights | 9 nights | 31°F |
| Colbert County, AL | 26 km southwest | 62 nights | 9 nights | 31°F |
| Wayne County, TN | 41 km north | 98 nights | 25 nights | 27°F |
| Lawrence County, TN | 42 km northeast | 81 nights | 18 nights | 28°F |
| Lawrence County, AL | 51 km southeast | 66 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
| Franklin County, AL | 54 km south | 71 nights | 14 nights | 31°F |
| Tishomingo County, MS | 56 km west | 95 nights | 24 nights | 28°F |
Lauderdale County within AL
Lauderdale County ranks 22 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 659 ft, Lauderdale County sits 224 ft above the state's median county elevation of 435 ft.
What to do here
- Keep a night-of routine: drip, open cabinets, keep the heat at 55F or above.
- Foam-sleeve any pipe in the garage or crawlspace once; it is cheap and lasts years.
Few hard nights means pipes are rarely built for them; see freezes in warm places.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Muscle Shoals (2 mi N), AL, 15 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.