Will Pipes Freeze in Smith County, TN? 18 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Smith County
In a normal year Smith County, TN gets 18 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 | 86 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 18 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 3 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 18 nights of risk to 3 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 04/10. For 20°F: 12/03 to 03/02.
How cold Smith 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: 3 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 | 65°F | 59°F | 47°F | 36°F | 30°F |
Smith County next to its neighbours
Trousdale County, TN, 24 km northwest, gets 20 nights below 20°F to Smith County's 18 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County, TN | - | 86 nights | 18 nights | 27°F |
| Trousdale County, TN | 24 km northwest | 82 nights | 20 nights | 27°F |
| Jackson County, TN | 26 km northeast | 102 nights | 29 nights | 24°F |
| Macon County, TN | 32 km north | 75 nights | 19 nights | 27°F |
| DeKalb County, TN | 32 km south | 97 nights | 25 nights | 26°F |
| Wilson County, TN | 34 km west | 93 nights | 25 nights | 27°F |
| Putnam County, TN | 42 km east | 96 nights | 24 nights | 27°F |
Smith County within TN
Smith County ranks 62 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 553 ft, Smith County sits 314 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 Carthage, 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.