Guides
Twelve Months of Water Checks for a West Georgia House, Bremen to Temple
A month-by-month calendar of what the weather does and which spots in the house are worth a look. It draws on NOAA normals for the Carrollton station and pages from the Weather Service, UGA, EPA and Haralson County.
How to read a calendar built on a station nine miles away
The rain and frost figures here are taken from NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for the Carrollton station, about 9 miles from Bremen. A normal is a 30-year average, so any single month can run wetter or drier. Haralson County's own climate page agrees broadly, giving about 52 inches of rain a year against Carrollton's 53.48.
Take the numbers as a guide to the seasons, not a forecast for your street. Waco, Tallapoosa and Temple sit 10 to 15 miles from that station, and ground, trees and drainage change what a storm does at one address.
December to February: nights below freezing
January is the cold month. Carrollton's normals give a low of 31.6 degrees and 17.7 nights at or below 32, with 4.6 at or below 20. December adds 15.9 freezing nights and February 13.2. Haralson County's page counts 70.6 nights a year below freezing for the county as a whole.
Water expands as it freezes, the Weather Service says, and a splitting pipe follows. The first to go are pipes along outside walls and those in a basement, an attic or the cabinet under a kitchen sink. Rain does not take the winter off either: December through February add up to 15.39 inches, more than any other season.
March to May: the wettest weeks and the hail months
March is the wettest month in the Carrollton normals at 5.59 inches, and spring adds up to 13.95. The Weather Service says May is the peak hail month in north and central Georgia, with April a close second. The same page puts the size of most hail in Georgia between 1 and 2 inches. It also says tornadoes often come from spring supercell storms.
That is the season to walk around the house and look up. UGA's checklist asks owners to check the roof for lost or curling shingles, the gutters and downspouts, and the window frames for peeling drywall.
June to August: heat, wind and sudden downpours
Summer rain totals 12.26 inches at Carrollton, second-lowest after autumn's 11.88. July and August record 1.2 and 0.8 days with an inch or more. The Weather Service says damaging thunderstorm wind peaks in July. The same page defines a severe storm by hail an inch across or larger, or by winds of 58 mph or greater.
Heat season is the time for the attic and the air handler. UGA's checklist looks for moisture damage and proper ventilation in the attic and asks that heating and cooling systems be serviced twice a year.
September to November: humid air, falling leaves, first frosts
Haralson's climate page puts humidity highest in September and calls October the driest month, at 3.4 inches. Carrollton's normals agree that October is the low point, at 3.66 inches, and they bring the first freezing nights in November, 9.1 of them.
EPA's target for indoor humidity is under 60 percent, with 30 to 50 better still, and UGA suggests an inexpensive meter to read it. This is also the season for gutters. UGA asks that they stay clear of debris so they send water away from the house.
What if the calendar and the house disagree?
Water does not read calendars. A pipe can fail in July and a roof can leak in January. If a wall is damp for no reason you can name, mold after water and appliance leaks are good places to read next.
Then call (678) 839-7986 and say what month the trouble began and what you saw.
One check for each month
| Month | What the weather is doing | A check for the house |
|---|---|---|
| January | The coldest month, with a normal low of 31.6 degrees | Look under the kitchen sink and in the basement or attic, where the Weather Service says pipes freeze first |
| February | The wettest month on Haralson's climate page, at 5.3 inches | Walk the foundation after a rain and note where water stands |
| March | The wettest month in the Carrollton normals, at 5.59 inches | Read the water meter with every tap off for two hours |
| April | Hail season opens, second only to May | Scan the shingles from the ground for missing or curling pieces |
| May | The peak month for hail in north and central Georgia | Check that gutters are clear, and aim downspouts so they empty 6 to 10 feet away from the foundation walls |
| June | Heat settles in, with a normal high near 87 degrees | Book the heating and cooling service, which UGA asks for twice a year |
| July | The peak month for damaging thunderstorm wind, with highs near 90 | Check the attic for moisture damage and for exhaust ducts that run outdoors |
| August | The fewest days with an inch of rain, 0.8 | Look behind the washer and under the sinks for slow leaks |
| September | Humidity at its highest on Haralson's climate page | Read the indoor humidity, which EPA wants under 60 percent |
| October | The driest month, with 3.66 inches at Carrollton | Clean the gutters before the leaves and the rain return |
| November | The first nights at or below 32 degrees, 9.1 of them | Look in the crawl space for a plastic cover, 6 to 8 mil thick, over the soil |
| December | Freezing nights climb to 15.9 | Empty and clean the water heater's drip pan |