Will Pipes Freeze in Rutherford County, TN? 24 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Rutherford County
In a normal year Rutherford County, TN gets 24 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 41% 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 | 93 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 24 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 4 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 24 nights of risk to 4 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 10/27, last around 04/09. For 20°F: 12/02 to 02/28.
How cold Rutherford County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 29°F; the coldest month, January, averages 27°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, December: 4 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27°F | 30°F | 36°F | 45°F | 54°F | 63°F | 67°F | 66°F | 58°F | 46°F | 36°F | 30°F |
Rutherford County next to its neighbours
Bedford County, TN, 37 km south, gets 17 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County, TN | - | 93 nights | 24 nights | 27°F |
| Cannon County, TN | 32 km east | 93 nights | 25 nights | 27°F |
| Wilson County, TN | 36 km north | 93 nights | 25 nights | 27°F |
| Bedford County, TN | 37 km south | 77 nights | 17 nights | 29°F |
| Williamson County, TN | 44 km west | 86 nights | 22 nights | 28°F |
| Davidson County, TN | 49 km northwest | 74 nights | 17 nights | 28°F |
| Coffee County, TN | 50 km southeast | 93 nights | 25 nights | 27°F |
Rutherford County within TN
Rutherford County ranks 26 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 584 ft, Rutherford County sits 283 ft below 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 Murfreesboro (5 mi N), TN, 9 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.