Will Pipes Freeze in Whitley County, KY? 31 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Whitley County
In a normal year Whitley County, KY gets 31 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 47% 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 | 113 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 31 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 7 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 1 night |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 31 nights of risk to 7 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 10/22, last around 04/21. For 20°F: 11/24 to 03/18.
How cold Whitley County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 26°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, March, December: 7 nights a year, and 1 night below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 27°F | 33°F | 41°F | 52°F | 60°F | 64°F | 62°F | 55°F | 44°F | 33°F | 28°F |
Whitley County next to its neighbours
McCreary County, KY, 31 km west, gets 33 nights below 20°F to Whitley County's 31 nights. Knox County, KY, 30 km northeast, gets 30 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitley County, KY | - | 113 nights | 31 nights | 25°F |
| Knox County, KY | 30 km northeast | 109 nights | 30 nights | 25°F |
| McCreary County, KY | 31 km west | 119 nights | 33 nights | 24°F |
| Laurel County, KY | 40 km north | 90 nights | 22 nights | 27°F |
| Campbell County, TN | 40 km south | 108 nights | 27 nights | 25°F |
| Bell County, KY | 41 km east | 110 nights | 30 nights | 24°F |
| Scott County, TN | 49 km southwest | 116 nights | 33 nights | 24°F |
Whitley County within KY
Whitley County ranks 38 of 120 KY counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Shelby County, KY at 55 nights, with a 22°F average winter low. The fewest is Lyon County, KY: 15 nights, winter lows near 32°F. At 1,250 ft, Whitley County sits 453 ft above the state's median county elevation of 797 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 Williamsburg, KY, 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.