Will Pipes Freeze in Lee County, NC? 12 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Lee County
In a normal year Lee County, NC gets 12 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 29% 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 | 12 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 12 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 10/30, last around 04/10. For 20°F: 12/05 to 02/26.
How cold Lee County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 30°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: 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30°F | 32°F | 39°F | 47°F | 56°F | 64°F | 69°F | 67°F | 61°F | 49°F | 38°F | 33°F |
Lee County next to its neighbours
Hoke County, NC, 51 km south, gets 14 nights below 20°F to Lee County's 12 nights. Chatham County, NC, 26 km north, gets 11 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, NC | - | 77 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Chatham County, NC | 26 km north | 74 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
| Harnett County, NC | 30 km southeast | 76 nights | 9 nights | 30°F |
| Moore County, NC | 35 km southwest | 62 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Hoke County, NC | 51 km south | 80 nights | 14 nights | 30°F |
| Cumberland County, NC | 57 km southeast | 62 nights | 6 nights | 32°F |
| Wake County, NC | 59 km northeast | 62 nights | 7 nights | 31°F |
Lee County within NC
Lee County ranks 40 of 100 NC counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Swain County, NC at 49 nights, with a 24°F average winter low. The fewest is Carteret County, NC: 3 nights, winter lows near 39°F. At 375 ft, Lee County sits 98 ft below the state's median county elevation of 473 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 Sanford (8 mi NE), NC, 13 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.