Will Pipes Freeze in Shelby County, IN? 39 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Shelby County
In a normal year Shelby County, IN gets 39 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 55% 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 | 115 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 39 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 14 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 4 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 39 nights of risk to 14 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 10/22, last around 04/17. For 20°F: 11/26 to 03/14.
How cold Shelby County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 20°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: 14 nights a year, and 4 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20°F | 22°F | 31°F | 41°F | 53°F | 61°F | 64°F | 62°F | 55°F | 43°F | 33°F | 25°F |
Shelby County next to its neighbours
Johnson County, IN, 26 km west, gets 42 nights below 20°F to Shelby County's 39 nights. Decatur County, IN, 35 km southeast, gets 37 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, IN | - | 115 nights | 39 nights | 20°F |
| Johnson County, IN | 26 km west | 117 nights | 42 nights | 18°F |
| Rush County, IN | 30 km east | 119 nights | 43 nights | 19°F |
| Hancock County, IN | 33 km north | 119 nights | 45 nights | 19°F |
| Decatur County, IN | 35 km southeast | 109 nights | 37 nights | 22°F |
| Bartholomew County, IN | 37 km south | 109 nights | 36 nights | 21°F |
| Marion County, IN | 41 km northwest | 114 nights | 42 nights | 20°F |
Shelby County within IN
Shelby County ranks 62 of 92 IN counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Steuben County, IN at 63 nights, with a 19°F average winter low. The fewest is Floyd County, IN: 19 nights, winter lows near 29°F. At 747 ft, Shelby County sits close to the state's median county elevation of 759 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.
When to have the house ready: when freeze season starts.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Shelbyville Sewage Plt, IN, 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.