Will Pipes Freeze in Pickett County, TN? 24 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Pickett County
In a normal year Pickett County, TN gets 24 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 40% 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 | 94 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 24 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 5 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 24 nights of risk to 5 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 10/25, last around 04/12. For 20°F: 12/01 to 03/02.
How cold Pickett County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 29°F; the coldest month, January, averages 27°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, December: 5 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27°F | 29°F | 36°F | 44°F | 54°F | 63°F | 67°F | 64°F | 57°F | 45°F | 36°F | 30°F |
Pickett County next to its neighbours
Clinton County, KY, 19 km north, gets 26 nights below 20°F to Pickett County's 24 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickett County, TN | - | 94 nights | 24 nights | 27°F |
| Clinton County, KY | 19 km north | 98 nights | 26 nights | 26°F |
| Fentress County, TN | 24 km southeast | 96 nights | 27 nights | 26°F |
| Overton County, TN | 30 km southwest | 90 nights | 23 nights | 27°F |
| Wayne County, KY | 35 km northeast | 99 nights | 28 nights | 26°F |
| Cumberland County, KY | 37 km northwest | 101 nights | 29 nights | 25°F |
| Clay County, TN | 42 km west | 96 nights | 26 nights | 26°F |
Pickett County within TN
Pickett County ranks 30 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 903 ft, Pickett County sits close to 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 Byrdstown, TN, 5 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.