Will Pipes Freeze in Powell County, KY? 33 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Powell County
In a normal year Powell 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 | 108 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 33 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 9 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 33 nights of risk to 9 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 10/20, last around 04/19. For 20°F: 11/23 to 03/14.
How cold Powell County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°F; the coldest month, January, averages 23°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: 9 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23°F | 26°F | 33°F | 42°F | 52°F | 61°F | 65°F | 63°F | 56°F | 43°F | 33°F | 28°F |
Powell County next to its neighbours
Menifee County, KY, 25 km northeast, gets 39 nights below 20°F to Powell County's 33 nights. Lee County, KY, 24 km southeast, gets 30 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell County, KY | - | 108 nights | 33 nights | 23°F |
| Estill County, KY | 17 km southwest | 112 nights | 34 nights | 23°F |
| Lee County, KY | 24 km southeast | 98 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Menifee County, KY | 25 km northeast | 117 nights | 39 nights | 23°F |
| Montgomery County, KY | 26 km north | 116 nights | 40 nights | 22°F |
| Wolfe County, KY | 30 km east | 96 nights | 26 nights | 25°F |
| Clark County, KY | 33 km northwest | 114 nights | 37 nights | 22°F |
Powell County within KY
Powell County ranks 28 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 885 ft, Powell County sits 89 ft above 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.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Stanton (2 mi W), KY, 8 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.