Will Pipes Freeze in Shelby County, TN? 10 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Shelby County
In a normal year Shelby County, TN gets 10 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 26% 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 | 61 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 10 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 10 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 11/05, last around 03/29. For 20°F: 12/20 to 02/18.
How cold Shelby County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 33°F; the coldest month, January, averages 31°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31°F | 34°F | 42°F | 51°F | 60°F | 69°F | 72°F | 71°F | 63°F | 51°F | 41°F | 34°F |
Shelby County next to its neighbours
Tipton County, TN, 37 km north, gets 14 nights below 20°F to Shelby County's 10 nights. Crittenden County, AR, 37 km west, gets 8 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, TN | - | 61 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| DeSoto County, MS | 36 km south | 61 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| Crittenden County, AR | 37 km west | 57 nights | 8 nights | 32°F |
| Tipton County, TN | 37 km north | 69 nights | 14 nights | 29°F |
| Fayette County, TN | 44 km east | 70 nights | 12 nights | 30°F |
| Marshall County, MS | 59 km southeast | 82 nights | 20 nights | 29°F |
| Tate County, MS | 60 km south | 64 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
Shelby County within TN
Shelby County ranks 94 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 248 ft, Shelby County sits 619 ft below the state's median county elevation of 867 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.
Few hard nights means pipes are rarely built for them; see freezes in warm places.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Memphis Weather Office, TN, 10 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.