Will Pipes Freeze in Marshall County, KY? 33 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Marshall County
In a normal year Marshall County, KY gets 33 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 49% 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 | 101 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 33 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 7 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 33 nights of risk to 7 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 10/19, last around 04/09. For 20°F: 11/23 to 03/06.
How cold Marshall County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, January, averages 24°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, March, December: 7 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24°F | 26°F | 34°F | 44°F | 53°F | 63°F | 65°F | 63°F | 55°F | 43°F | 34°F | 27°F |
Marshall County next to its neighbours
Lyon County, KY, 27 km northeast, gets 15 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County, KY | - | 101 nights | 33 nights | 24°F |
| Lyon County, KY | 27 km northeast | 59 nights | 15 nights | 30°F |
| Calloway County, KY | 29 km south | 71 nights | 15 nights | 27°F |
| Graves County, KY | 33 km southwest | 87 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
| Livingston County, KY | 37 km north | 82 nights | 22 nights | 26°F |
| McCracken County, KY | 39 km northwest | 83 nights | 22 nights | 27°F |
| Trigg County, KY | 43 km east | 74 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
Marshall County within KY
Marshall County ranks 29 of 120 KY counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Shelby County, KY at 55 nights, with a 22°F average winter low. The fewest is Lyon County, KY: 15 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 425 ft, Marshall County sits 371 ft below the state's median county elevation of 797 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 Benton, KY, 3 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.