Will Pipes Freeze in Van Buren County, TN? 29 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Van Buren County
In a normal year Van Buren County, TN gets 29 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 45% 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 | 29 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 6 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 29 nights of risk to 6 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 10/19, last around 04/21. For 20°F: 11/20 to 03/16.
How cold Van Buren County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 28°F; the coldest month, January, averages 26°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: 6 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26°F | 28°F | 35°F | 42°F | 51°F | 59°F | 63°F | 61°F | 55°F | 43°F | 34°F | 29°F |
Van Buren County next to its neighbours
Grundy County, TN, 41 km southwest, gets 30 nights below 20°F to Van Buren County's 29 nights. White County, TN, 25 km north, gets 19 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County, TN | - | 98 nights | 29 nights | 26°F |
| White County, TN | 25 km north | 83 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
| Bledsoe County, TN | 26 km southeast | 76 nights | 17 nights | 30°F |
| Warren County, TN | 29 km west | 69 nights | 14 nights | 31°F |
| Sequatchie County, TN | 37 km south | 72 nights | 16 nights | 30°F |
| Grundy County, TN | 41 km southwest | 102 nights | 30 nights | 26°F |
| DeKalb County, TN | 46 km northwest | 97 nights | 25 nights | 26°F |
Van Buren County within TN
Van Buren County ranks 9 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 1,734 ft, Van Buren County sits 867 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 Fall Creek Falls Sp, TN, 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.