Will Pipes Freeze in Lincoln County, WV? 37 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Lincoln County
In a normal year Lincoln County, WV gets 37 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 53% 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 | 120 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 37 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 9 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 37 nights of risk to 9 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 10/21, last around 04/23. For 20°F: 11/22 to 03/17.
How cold Lincoln County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°F; the coldest month, January, averages 23°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, December: 9 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23°F | 26°F | 32°F | 41°F | 51°F | 60°F | 64°F | 63°F | 56°F | 43°F | 32°F | 28°F |
Lincoln County next to its neighbours
Wayne County, WV, 30 km west, gets 26 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, WV | - | 120 nights | 37 nights | 23°F |
| Wayne County, WV | 30 km west | 97 nights | 26 nights | 26°F |
| Cabell County, WV | 31 km northwest | 109 nights | 32 nights | 27°F |
| Boone County, WV | 36 km southeast | 116 nights | 33 nights | 24°F |
| Logan County, WV | 40 km south | 104 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Putnam County, WV | 41 km north | 104 nights | 27 nights | 24°F |
| Mingo County, WV | 51 km south | 100 nights | 25 nights | 25°F |
Lincoln County within WV
Lincoln County ranks 35 of 55 WV counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Tucker County, WV at 70 nights, with a 20°F average winter low. The fewest is Mingo County, WV: 25 nights, winter lows near 28°F. At 955 ft, Lincoln County sits 258 ft below the state's median county elevation of 1,213 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 Hamlin, WV, 12 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.