Will Pipes Freeze in Unicoi County, TN? 27 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Unicoi County
In a normal year Unicoi County, TN gets 27 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 43% 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 | 103 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 27 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 5 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 27 nights of risk to 5 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 10/23, last around 04/21. For 20°F: 11/25 to 03/12.
How cold Unicoi County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, January, averages 25°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, December: 5 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 27°F | 33°F | 41°F | 49°F | 58°F | 61°F | 60°F | 54°F | 42°F | 32°F | 28°F |
Unicoi County next to its neighbours
Mitchell County, NC, 25 km southeast, gets 30 nights below 20°F to Unicoi County's 27 nights. Washington County, TN, 23 km north, gets 23 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unicoi County, TN | - | 103 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
| Washington County, TN | 23 km north | 96 nights | 23 nights | 25°F |
| Mitchell County, NC | 25 km southeast | 111 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Yancey County, NC | 26 km southeast | 105 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
| Carter County, TN | 33 km northeast | 118 nights | 39 nights | 23°F |
| Madison County, NC | 37 km southwest | 112 nights | 34 nights | 25°F |
| Greene County, TN | 40 km west | 108 nights | 34 nights | 26°F |
Unicoi County within TN
Unicoi County ranks 13 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 2,479 ft, Unicoi County sits 1,612 ft above 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.
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 Erwin (1 mi W), TN, 5 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.