Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domainNo extremes in Indianapolis: its weather tracks the middle of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 85°. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.9° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 15, with the first autumn frost due around October 26.
A year in Indianapolis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Indianapolis’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Indianapolis’ place in Indiana State beside it.
What a year in Indianapolis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 193 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Indianapolis, IN, 9 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Indianapolis’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 26 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Indianapolis, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Indianapolis
82% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Indianapolis, IN.
Living with Indianapolis’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
193 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 167 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Indianapolis and its neighbors
Zionsville has the coldest January nights next door (19°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Indianapolis’, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | 20° | 85° | 43" | 26" |
| Selinsgrove, PA | 20° | 85° | 43" | 29" |
| Reynoldsburg, OH | 21° | 84° | 43" | 28" |
| New Martinsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 46" | 27" |
| Westminster, MD | 22° | 86° | 45" | 28" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Indianapolis averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 86% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods. In a city of 911,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Indianapolis compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Indianapolis’ place among Indiana State’s.
Indianapolis weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Indianapolis’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Indianapolis, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 2.9" | 8.8" | 12 | 11 | 19° – 39° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 2.4" | 6.0" | 10 | 7 | 19° – 42° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 3.3" | 3.2" | 12 | 2 | 34° – 55° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 4.4" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 52° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 82° | 62° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 65° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 82° |
| August | 84° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| October | 65° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 52° | 33° | 3.4" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 49° |
| December | 40° | 25° | 2.9" | 6.4" | 12 | 6 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 62° | 43° | 43.2" | 25.5" | 128 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Indianapolis’ numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Indianapolis’ center.
- Snow: Indianapolis, IN (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Indianapolis, IN, 9 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Indianapolis’ climate
What is the weather like in Indianapolis?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Indianapolis in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Indianapolis get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at Indianapolis, IN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Indianapolis?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 65°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Indianapolis, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Indianapolis?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 193 frost-free days, at Indianapolis, IN.
What growing zone is Indianapolis in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Indianapolis?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Indianapolis getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Indianapolis.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.