Will Pipes Freeze in Union County, TN? 24 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Union County
In a normal year Union County, TN gets 24 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 41% 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 | 98 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 24 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 4 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 24 nights of risk to 4 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 10/25, last around 04/22. For 20°F: 12/01 to 03/10.
How cold Union County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 27°F; the coldest month, January, averages 25°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, February, December: 4 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 28°F | 34°F | 42°F | 52°F | 60°F | 64°F | 63°F | 57°F | 44°F | 34°F | 29°F |
Union County next to its neighbours
Claiborne County, TN, 29 km northeast, gets 32 nights below 20°F to Union County's 24 nights. Grainger County, TN, 29 km east, gets 23 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, TN | - | 98 nights | 24 nights | 25°F |
| Claiborne County, TN | 29 km northeast | 107 nights | 32 nights | 24°F |
| Grainger County, TN | 29 km east | 87 nights | 23 nights | 27°F |
| Campbell County, TN | 32 km northwest | 108 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
| Knox County, TN | 34 km south | 78 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
| Anderson County, TN | 37 km southwest | 82 nights | 15 nights | 28°F |
| Jefferson County, TN | 44 km southeast | 82 nights | 21 nights | 27°F |
Union County within TN
Union County ranks 25 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 1,377 ft, Union County sits 510 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.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Norris, TN, 22 km away (fair match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.