Will Pipes Freeze in Union County, NC? 9 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Union County
In a normal year Union County, NC gets 9 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 24% 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 | 68 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 9 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 9 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 11/01, last around 04/03. For 20°F: 12/09 to 02/22.
How cold Union County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 32°F; the coldest month, January, averages 30°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 none below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30°F | 33°F | 39°F | 48°F | 57°F | 65°F | 69°F | 68°F | 61°F | 49°F | 38°F | 33°F |
Union County next to its neighbours
Stanly County, NC, 43 km northeast, gets 9 nights below 20°F to Union County's 9 nights. Lancaster County, SC, 37 km southwest, gets 7 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, NC | - | 68 nights | 9 nights | 30°F |
| Lancaster County, SC | 37 km southwest | 58 nights | 7 nights | 32°F |
| Anson County, NC | 38 km east | 58 nights | 6 nights | 32°F |
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 40 km northwest | 60 nights | 8 nights | 31°F |
| Stanly County, NC | 43 km northeast | 67 nights | 9 nights | 31°F |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 44 km north | 74 nights | 11 nights | 29°F |
| Chesterfield County, SC | 52 km southeast | 64 nights | 9 nights | 32°F |
Union County within NC
Union County ranks 59 of 100 NC counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Swain County, NC at 49 nights, with a 24°F average winter low. The fewest is Carteret County, NC: 3 nights, winter lows near 39°F. At 574 ft, Union County sits 101 ft above the state's median county elevation of 473 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 Monroe (2 mi SE), NC, 2 km away (close 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.