Will Pipes Freeze in St. Clair County, AL? 10 nights a Year
Freeze nights in St. Clair County
In a normal year St. Clair County, AL 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: Regular. The risk season runs December to February, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 65 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 10 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 10 nights of risk to under 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 11/10, last around 03/26. For 20°F: 12/28 to 02/09.
How cold St. Clair County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 34°F; the coldest month, January, averages 33°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: under 1 night a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33°F | 35°F | 42°F | 49°F | 58°F | 66°F | 70°F | 69°F | 62°F | 51°F | 40°F | 35°F |
St. Clair County next to its neighbours
Blount County, AL, 37 km northwest, gets 11 nights below 20°F to St. Clair County's 10 nights. Etowah County, AL, 45 km northeast, gets 7 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County, AL | - | 65 nights | 10 nights | 33°F |
| Blount County, AL | 37 km northwest | 70 nights | 11 nights | 31°F |
| Talladega County, AL | 41 km south | 70 nights | 11 nights | 31°F |
| Etowah County, AL | 45 km northeast | 56 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| Calhoun County, AL | 45 km east | 58 nights | 7 nights | 33°F |
| Jefferson County, AL | 57 km west | 54 nights | 7 nights | 34°F |
| Shelby County, AL | 60 km southwest | 46 nights | 5 nights | 35°F |
St. Clair County within AL
St. Clair County ranks 19 of 67 AL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Marion County, AL at 23 nights, with a 31°F average winter low. The fewest is Mobile County, AL: under 1 night, winter lows near 43°F. At 923 ft, St. Clair County sits 488 ft above the state's median county elevation of 435 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 Oneonta, AL, 25 km away (fair match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. How a county figure is built from stations: how the numbers are made.