Freeze watches, freeze warnings and cold alerts: what they mean for pipes
The National Weather Service changed its cold-weather alerts in October 2024. Here is what each one means now, and why a pipe-freezing night can arrive without any freeze warning at all.
Last reviewed October 30, 2026 against the sources listed below. General information, not insurance or legal advice.
Pipe-freeze risk for Newberry right now
Pipe-freeze risk, the week ahead: Low
- Coldest hour: 50°F, Fri, Oct 30 at 8:00 AM ET
- Hours at or below 32°F: 0; at or below 28°F: 0; at or below 20°F: 0
No freezing temperatures in the hourly forecast. A good week to find your main shutoff, buy faucet covers and check pipe insulation before the first hard freeze.
Computed from the National Weather Service hourly forecast for Newberry, updated Fri, Oct 30 at 8:12 AM ET. Low spots, river bottoms and rural yards often run colder than the forecast point. Thresholds: 32°F freezing; 28°F the NWS hard-freeze level; 20°F the freeze-alert threshold for homes in southern states from University of Illinois research.
No active weather alerts for the area right now. Water and weather center
Who issues them
Newberry, Lexington, Saluda, Fairfield and Richland counties get their alerts from the National Weather Service office in Columbia, based in West Columbia. Laurens and Union counties are covered by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, so their alerts can start and end at different times.
The cold alerts since October 1, 2024
| Alert | What it means | What to do for pipes |
|---|---|---|
| Frost advisory | Frost is likely, usually on a clear, calm night in the mid 30s. | Not a pipe threat by itself. |
| Freeze watch | Freezing temperatures are possible in the next few days. | Disconnect hoses; cover spigots and backflow devices. |
| Freeze warning | Freezing temperatures are expected. Since October 2024 the NWS has folded the old hard freeze warning into this product, with hard-freeze wording when colder temperatures are expected. | Do the full night-before checklist if the low is in the 20s or it will stay below freezing for many hours. |
| Cold weather advisory | Replaced the wind chill advisory: dangerously cold temperatures or wind chills. | Keep the heat on day and night, drip faucets, close crawl space vents. |
| Extreme cold watch or warning | Replaced the wind chill warning: life-threatening cold. | Protect every exposed pipe, and check on neighbors. |
The catch: freeze warnings are about plants
The NWS says its frost and freeze services focus on vegetation and agriculture and take the growing season into account. In practice, a night in the low 20s in the middle of winter may come with no freeze warning at all, and that is exactly the kind of night when pipes are at risk. Do not wait for an alert: watch the forecast low and how long it will stay below freezing. Our freeze center turns the NWS hourly forecast into a pipe-freeze risk level for that reason.
How our pipe-freeze risk levels work
- Low: no hour at or below 32°F in the NWS hourly forecast, which runs about a week ahead.
- Moderate: a light freeze; hoses, spigots and backflow devices are at risk.
- High: 28°F or colder, or at least 8 hours in a row at or below 32°F.
- Severe: 20°F or colder, or a day that never gets above freezing.
When the first freeze comes
For Columbia, NWS Columbia's records for 1948 to 2014 put the average first fall low of 32°F or colder on November 3 (earliest October 4, 1974) and the average first 28°F on November 16. At Newberry's NOAA station, the median first freeze from 2008 through 2025 was around November 8, and the median last freeze around March 21. Newberry freeze history.
Frequently asked questions
Is there still a hard freeze warning?
Not as a separate product. Since October 1, 2024, the NWS issues a freeze warning and adds hard-freeze wording when colder temperatures are expected.
Why was there no freeze warning when my pipes froze?
NWS frost and freeze products focus on vegetation and the growing season, so in midwinter a hard freeze may not get a freeze warning. Watch the forecast low instead.
When is Newberry's first freeze?
The median first 32°F night at Newberry's NOAA station from 2008 through 2025 was around November 8.
Policies vary. Check your own policy and ask your insurer or agent about anything that affects your claim. Rules can change; this page reflects the sources below as of October 30, 2026. NewberrySCPlumbing.com is not a plumber, insurer, adjuster or law firm.
Find local help
Plumbers and well contractors serving Newberry County · Ask for help with a frozen or burst pipe · Who to call · Counties and towns
Sources
- National Weather Service: Cold-related product changes, effective October 1, 2024 (PDF)
- NWS Columbia, SC: Autumn frost and freeze dates (Columbia, 1948-2014)
- National Weather Service, Columbia, SC forecast office
- IBHS / International Code Council: Freezing and bursting pipes (the 20°F temperature alert threshold)
- National Weather Service: Cold weather safety
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers, Applied Climate Information System (ACIS): NEWBERRY, SC cooperative station USC00386209