Will Pipes Freeze in Monroe County, TN? 19 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Monroe County
In a normal year Monroe County, TN gets 19 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 35% 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 | 86 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 19 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 19 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 10/24, last around 04/13. For 20°F: 12/02 to 02/28.
How cold Monroe County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 31°F | 37°F | 44°F | 54°F | 62°F | 65°F | 64°F | 57°F | 45°F | 35°F | 31°F |
Monroe County next to its neighbours
Cherokee County, NC, 39 km southeast, gets 23 nights below 20°F to Monroe County's 19 nights. Loudon County, TN, 32 km north, gets 13 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, TN | - | 86 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
| Loudon County, TN | 32 km north | 76 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| McMinn County, TN | 34 km west | 85 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Cherokee County, NC | 39 km southeast | 103 nights | 23 nights | 26°F |
| Graham County, NC | 40 km east | 100 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
| Blount County, TN | 40 km northeast | 75 nights | 13 nights | 29°F |
| Polk County, TN | 46 km southwest | 83 nights | 18 nights | 29°F |
Monroe County within TN
Monroe County ranks 56 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 1,143 ft, Monroe County sits 276 ft above 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.
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 Tellico Plains, TN, 10 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.