Will Pipes Freeze in Union County, SC? 10 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Union County
In a normal year Union County, SC 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 27% 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 | 70 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 | none |
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 11/01, last around 04/04. For 20°F: 12/09 to 02/24.
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 | 56°F | 65°F | 68°F | 67°F | 61°F | 49°F | 38°F | 33°F |
Union County next to its neighbours
Cherokee County, SC, 40 km north, gets 18 nights below 20°F to Union County's 10 nights. Newberry County, SC, 45 km south, gets 9 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, SC | - | 70 nights | 10 nights | 30°F |
| Cherokee County, SC | 40 km north | 92 nights | 18 nights | 27°F |
| Chester County, SC | 42 km east | 82 nights | 15 nights | 30°F |
| Laurens County, SC | 42 km southwest | 79 nights | 13 nights | 30°F |
| Spartanburg County, SC | 44 km northwest | 76 nights | 13 nights | 31°F |
| Newberry County, SC | 45 km south | 63 nights | 9 nights | 31°F |
| York County, SC | 50 km northeast | 68 nights | 9 nights | 30°F |
Union County within SC
Union County ranks 7 of 46 SC counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Cherokee County, SC at 18 nights, with a 28°F average winter low. The fewest is Charleston County, SC: under 1 night, winter lows near 45°F. At 603 ft, Union County sits 343 ft above the state's median county elevation of 260 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.
What insulating actually removes here, and when heat tape is needed: insulate or heat tape?.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Santuck, SC, 11 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.