Photo: Scott Palmer · CC BY-SA 4.0South Bend’s winters are colder than most of the U.S., with about 65 inches of snow in South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in South Bend at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Bend’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Bend’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in South Bend feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport, South Bend’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 3 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Bend’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 148 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Bend
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport.
Living with South Bend’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 1 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 28 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Bend from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Bend and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Bend in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Bend’s, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Bend, IN | 18° | 83° | 40" | 65" |
| Clearfield, PA | 18° | 83° | 41" | 63" |
| Girard, OH | 19° | 83° | 41" | 68" |
| Troy, NY | 16° | 84° | 41" | 59" |
| Salem, NH | 16° | 84° | 46" | 58" |
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 South Bend averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 103,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How South Bend compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Bend’s place among Indiana’s.
South Bend weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Bend’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 18° | 2.7" | 21.6" | 17 | 20 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 20° | 2.3" | 16.1" | 13 | 14 | 15° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 2.4" | 6.8" | 12 | 5 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 3.6" | 1.0" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.9" | 5.1" | 13 | 3 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 2.5" | 13.7" | 15 | 10 | 17° – 40° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 40.0" | 64.5" | 148 | 52 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where South Bend’s 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 South Bend’s center.
- Snow: South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport, 3 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- 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 South Bend’s climate
What is the weather like in South Bend?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Bend in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 126 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does South Bend get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 52 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Bend?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in South Bend?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 170 frost-free days, at South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is South Bend in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Bend?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is South Bend getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Bend.
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.