Will Pipes Freeze in Lauderdale County, TN? 14 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Lauderdale County
In a normal year Lauderdale County, TN 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 December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 68 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 11/06, last around 03/26. For 20°F: 12/18 to 02/18.
How cold Lauderdale County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 29°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, December: 2 nights a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 33°F | 40°F | 49°F | 59°F | 67°F | 70°F | 68°F | 61°F | 49°F | 40°F | 32°F |
Lauderdale County next to its neighbours
Dyer County, TN, 38 km northeast, gets 16 nights below 20°F to Lauderdale County's 14 nights. Haywood County, TN, 37 km southeast, gets 12 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauderdale County, TN | - | 68 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Tipton County, TN | 31 km south | 69 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Haywood County, TN | 37 km southeast | 67 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Mississippi County, AR | 38 km west | 63 nights | 11 nights | 31°F |
| Dyer County, TN | 38 km northeast | 72 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Crockett County, TN | 45 km east | 70 nights | 13 nights | 29°F |
| Pemiscot County, MO | 52 km north | 73 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
Lauderdale County within TN
Lauderdale County ranks 87 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 356 ft, Lauderdale County sits 511 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 Ripley, TN, 13 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. How a county figure is built from stations: how the numbers are made.