Will Pipes Freeze in Roane County, TN? 14 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Roane County
In a normal year Roane County, TN gets 14 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 31% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. 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 | 78 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 14 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 2 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 14 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 11/04, last around 04/03. For 20°F: 12/18 to 02/24.
How cold Roane 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 none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 30°F | 37°F | 46°F | 56°F | 64°F | 68°F | 67°F | 61°F | 48°F | 37°F | 32°F |
Roane County next to its neighbours
Morgan County, TN, 34 km north, gets 29 nights below 20°F to Roane County's 14 nights. Loudon County, TN, 23 km southeast, gets 13 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roane County, TN | - | 78 nights | 14 nights | 28°F |
| Loudon County, TN | 23 km southeast | 76 nights | 13 nights | 28°F |
| Morgan County, TN | 34 km north | 107 nights | 29 nights | 26°F |
| Anderson County, TN | 42 km northeast | 82 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
| Cumberland County, TN | 44 km west | 88 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
| Meigs County, TN | 46 km southwest | 85 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
| Rhea County, TN | 47 km southwest | 80 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
Roane County within TN
Roane County ranks 85 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 867 ft, Roane 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.
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 Kingston, TN, 1 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.