Will Pipes Freeze in White County, IL? 32 nights a Year
Freeze nights in White County
In a normal year White County, IL gets 32 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 48% 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 | 32 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 9 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 2 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 32 nights of risk to 9 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 04/15. For 20°F: 11/18 to 03/13.
How cold White County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 23°F; the coldest month, January, averages 21°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: 9 nights a year, and 2 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21°F | 24°F | 33°F | 43°F | 54°F | 63°F | 66°F | 63°F | 55°F | 43°F | 32°F | 25°F |
White County next to its neighbours
Hamilton County, IL, 32 km west, gets 37 nights below 20°F to White County's 32 nights. Posey County, IN, 28 km east, gets 24 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White County, IL | - | 103 nights | 32 nights | 21°F |
| Posey County, IN | 28 km east | 86 nights | 24 nights | 23°F |
| Hamilton County, IL | 32 km west | 110 nights | 37 nights | 22°F |
| Gallatin County, IL | 36 km south | 86 nights | 22 nights | 25°F |
| Edwards County, IL | 38 km north | 92 nights | 29 nights | 23°F |
| Wayne County, IL | 44 km northwest | 100 nights | 32 nights | 24°F |
| Saline County, IL | 49 km southwest | 95 nights | 25 nights | 24°F |
White County within IL
White County ranks 83 of 102 IL counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Jo Daviess County, IL at 76 nights, with a 14°F average winter low. The fewest is Alexander County, IL: 21 nights, winter lows near 29°F. At 400 ft, White County sits 231 ft below the state's median county elevation of 632 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 Carmi 3, IL, 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.