Will Pipes Freeze in Marion County, AL? 23 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Marion County
In a normal year Marion County, AL gets 23 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 39% 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 | 90 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 23 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 23 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 10/27, last around 04/11. For 20°F: 12/02 to 03/01.
How cold Marion County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°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, February: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 32°F | 39°F | 46°F | 56°F | 65°F | 68°F | 67°F | 61°F | 48°F | 37°F | 32°F |
Marion County next to its neighbours
Franklin County, AL, 34 km north, gets 14 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, AL | - | 90 nights | 23 nights | 29°F |
| Franklin County, AL | 34 km north | 71 nights | 14 nights | 31°F |
| Lamar County, AL | 43 km southwest | 66 nights | 10 nights | 33°F |
| Itawamba County, MS | 47 km west | 66 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
| Winston County, AL | 48 km east | 69 nights | 13 nights | 31°F |
| Fayette County, AL | 48 km south | 71 nights | 10 nights | 34°F |
| Monroe County, MS | 62 km southwest | 60 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
Marion County within AL
Marion County ranks 1 of 67 AL counties for nights below 20°F. The fewest is Mobile County, AL: under 1 night, winter lows near 43°F. At 516 ft, Marion County sits 81 ft above the state's median county elevation of 435 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 Hamilton (3 mi S), AL, 11 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.