Will Pipes Freeze in White County, TN? 19 nights a Year
Freeze nights in White County
In a normal year White County, TN gets 19 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 36% 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 | 83 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 19 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 3 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | under 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 19 nights of risk to 3 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 10/23, last around 04/15. For 20°F: 11/24 to 03/08.
How cold White County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 30°F; the coldest month, January, averages 28°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: 3 nights a year, and under 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28°F | 30°F | 37°F | 45°F | 55°F | 63°F | 67°F | 65°F | 59°F | 46°F | 36°F | 31°F |
White County next to its neighbours
Putnam County, TN, 24 km north, gets 24 nights below 20°F to White County's 19 nights. Warren County, TN, 40 km southwest, gets 14 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White County, TN | - | 83 nights | 19 nights | 28°F |
| Putnam County, TN | 24 km north | 96 nights | 24 nights | 27°F |
| Van Buren County, TN | 25 km south | 98 nights | 29 nights | 26°F |
| DeKalb County, TN | 35 km west | 97 nights | 25 nights | 26°F |
| Warren County, TN | 40 km southwest | 69 nights | 14 nights | 31°F |
| Cumberland County, TN | 42 km east | 88 nights | 24 nights | 26°F |
| Bledsoe County, TN | 43 km southeast | 76 nights | 17 nights | 30°F |
White County within TN
White County ranks 54 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 962 ft, White County sits 94 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 Sparta Wastewater Plant, TN, 3 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.