Will Pipes Freeze in Randolph County, NC? 9 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Randolph County
In a normal year Randolph County, NC gets 9 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 25% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. The risk season runs December to March, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 66 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 9 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 9 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 10/31, last around 04/05. For 20°F: 12/10 to 02/22.
How cold Randolph County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 31°F; the coldest month, January, averages 29°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29°F | 32°F | 38°F | 47°F | 55°F | 63°F | 67°F | 66°F | 60°F | 48°F | 38°F | 32°F |
Randolph County next to its neighbours
Davidson County, NC, 37 km west, gets 16 nights below 20°F to Randolph County's 9 nights. Montgomery County, NC, 44 km south, gets 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County, NC | - | 66 nights | 9 nights | 29°F |
| Davidson County, NC | 37 km west | 84 nights | 16 nights | 28°F |
| Guilford County, NC | 41 km north | 63 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
| Montgomery County, NC | 44 km south | 62 nights | 8 nights | 32°F |
| Chatham County, NC | 50 km east | 74 nights | 11 nights | 30°F |
| Alamance County, NC | 52 km northeast | 77 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Moore County, NC | 53 km southeast | 62 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
Randolph County within NC
Randolph County ranks 54 of 100 NC counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Swain County, NC at 49 nights, with a 24°F average winter low. The fewest is Carteret County, NC: 3 nights, winter lows near 39°F. At 771 ft, Randolph County sits 298 ft above the state's median county elevation of 473 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.
Whether foam sleeves are enough here: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Asheboro (2 mi W), NC, 3 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.