Will Pipes Freeze in Rhea County, TN? 17 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Rhea County
In a normal year Rhea County, TN gets 17 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 34% 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 | 80 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 17 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 17 nights of risk to 2 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 10/29, last around 04/11. For 20°F: 12/03 to 03/03.
How cold Rhea 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: 2 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 | 45°F | 54°F | 63°F | 67°F | 66°F | 59°F | 47°F | 36°F | 31°F |
Rhea County next to its neighbours
Meigs County, TN, 16 km southeast, gets 19 nights below 20°F to Rhea County's 17 nights. Roane County, TN, 47 km northeast, gets 14 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County, TN | - | 80 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Meigs County, TN | 16 km southeast | 85 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
| Bledsoe County, TN | 23 km west | 76 nights | 17 nights | 30°F |
| McMinn County, TN | 36 km southeast | 85 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Cumberland County, TN | 39 km north | 88 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
| Roane County, TN | 47 km northeast | 78 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Van Buren County, TN | 47 km west | 98 nights | 29 nights | 26°F |
Rhea County within TN
Rhea County ranks 67 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 1,437 ft, Rhea County sits 570 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Spring City, TN, 12 km away (fair 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.