Will Pipes Freeze in Tunica County, MS? 7 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Tunica County
In a normal year Tunica County, MS gets 7 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 22% of US counties.
Risk level: Occasional. 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 | 53 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 7 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | under 1 night |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | none |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 7 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 11/15, last around 03/14. For 20°F: 01/01 to 02/01.
How cold Tunica County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 35°F; the coldest month, January, averages 32°F overnight. 6 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, 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 none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32°F | 36°F | 44°F | 53°F | 62°F | 70°F | 73°F | 71°F | 65°F | 53°F | 42°F | 35°F |
Tunica County next to its neighbours
DeSoto County, MS, 43 km northeast, gets 10 nights below 20°F to Tunica County's 7 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunica County, MS | - | 53 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| Tate County, MS | 39 km east | 64 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Lee County, AR | 40 km west | 55 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| DeSoto County, MS | 43 km northeast | 61 nights | 10 nights | 31°F |
| Quitman County, MS | 45 km south | 59 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| Panola County, MS | 49 km southeast | 66 nights | 10 nights | 32°F |
| Phillips County, AR | 51 km southwest | 54 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
Tunica County within MS
Tunica County ranks 28 of 82 MS counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Tishomingo County, MS at 24 nights, with a 30°F average winter low. The fewest is Harrison County, MS: under 1 night, winter lows near 45°F. At 180 ft, Tunica County sits 121 ft below the state's median county elevation of 302 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.
Whether foam sleeves are enough here: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Tunica (2 mi N), MS, 8 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.