Will Pipes Freeze in Pontotoc County, MS? 10 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Pontotoc County
In a normal year Pontotoc County, MS gets 10 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 26% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs November to February, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 61 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 10 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 10 nights of risk to 1 night. 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 11/08, last around 03/28. For 20°F: 12/21 to 02/11.
How cold Pontotoc County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 34°F; the coldest month, January, averages 32°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: 1 night a year, and none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32°F | 35°F | 42°F | 50°F | 60°F | 68°F | 71°F | 69°F | 63°F | 51°F | 41°F | 35°F |
Pontotoc County next to its neighbours
Union County, MS, 29 km north, gets 14 nights below 20°F to Pontotoc County's 10 nights. Lee County, MS, 33 km east, gets 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontotoc County, MS | - | 61 nights | 10 nights | 32°F |
| Union County, MS | 29 km north | 74 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Lee County, MS | 33 km east | 57 nights | 8 nights | 33°F |
| Chickasaw County, MS | 34 km south | 69 nights | 13 nights | 32°F |
| Calhoun County, MS | 42 km southwest | 65 nights | 9 nights | 32°F |
| Lafayette County, MS | 43 km west | 68 nights | 12 nights | 31°F |
| Tippah County, MS | 61 km north | 80 nights | 16 nights | 29°F |
Pontotoc County within MS
Pontotoc County ranks 18 of 82 MS counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Tishomingo County, MS at 24 nights, with a 30°F average winter low. The fewest is Harrison County, MS: under 1 night, winter lows near 45°F. At 423 ft, Pontotoc County sits 121 ft above the state's median county elevation of 302 ft.
What to do here
- Keep a night-of routine: drip, open cabinets, keep the heat at 55F or above.
- Foam-sleeve any pipe in the garage or crawlspace once; it is cheap and lasts years.
Few hard nights means pipes are rarely built for them; see freezes in warm places.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Pontotoc Experiment Station, MS, 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.