Indianapolis, Indiana Records and Averages

      Indianapolis, Indiana is located in the central part of the state and is situated on level or slightly rolling terrain. The city has a temperate climate, with very warm summers and no dry season. Very cold temperatures can occur with the invasion of continental polar air during winter. The polar air can be quite frigid with very low humidity. The arrival of maritime tropical air from the Gulf in the summer brings warm temperatures and moderate humidity. One of the longest and most severe heat waves brought temperatures of 100 degrees or more for nine consecutive days.

Precipitation is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year, therefore there is no pronounced wet or dry season. Rainfall in the spring and summer is produced mostly by showers and thunderstorms. A rainfall of about 2 1/2 inches in a 24–hour period can be expected about once a year. Snowfalls of 3 inches or more occur on an average of two or three times each winter.

Temperature + Precipitation

  Monthly Averages Daily Extremes Monthly Extremes Max. Temp. Min. Temp.  
Temperatures
 in F
Max. Min. Avg High Date of 
daily extreme
 high
Low Date of
daily extreme
low
Highest
Avg
Year Lowest
Avg
Year # Days >=
90 F
# Days <=
32 F
# Days <=
32 F
# Days<=
0 F
January 35.3 19.4 27.3 71 25/1950 -27 19/1994 39.7 2006 10.2 1977 0.0 12.5 26.8 3.0
February 39.6 22.6 31.1 74 29/1972 -21 10/1982 40.8 1998 17.8 1978 0.0 7.7 23.2 1.5
March 50.5 31.6 41.1 85 31/1981 -7 02/1980 49.4 1973 26.2 1960 0.0 2.1 17.2 0.1
April 63.3 42.1 52.7 89 30/1970 18 13/1950 59.6 2010 45.6 1961 0.0 0.0 5.0 0.0
May 73.3 52.0 62.7 93 25/1965 28 10/1966 70.6 1977 56.4 1961 0.4 0.0 0.3 0.0
June 82.2 61.5 71.9 102 26/1954 37 22/1992 76.6 1952 66.8 1958 3.9 0.0 0.0 0.0
July 85.2 65.3 75.3 104 14/1954 48 04/1968 79.7 1983 70.9 2009 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0
August 84.0 63.4 73.7 102 16/1988 41 29/1965 80.1 1983 68.9 1963 5.2 0.0 0.0 0.0
September 77.7 55.7 66.7 100 01/1953 32 30/1993 71.7 2007 60.6 1949 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
October 65.9 44.1 55.0 91 08/2007 20 26/1962 62.1 2007 48.1 1988 0.1 0.0 3.4 0.0
November 51.5 33.9 42.7 81 01/1950 -2 25/1950 49.5 2001 34.6 1976 0.0 1.3 14.3 0.0
December 39.3 24.1 31.7 74 02/1982 -23 22/1989 40.2 1982 18.5 1963 0.0 8.3 24.3 1.2
       
Annual 62.3 43.0 52.6 104 1954/07/14 -27 1994/01/19 56.0 1998 50.0 1963 18.3 31.9 114.4 5.9
Winter 38.1 22.0 30.0 74 1972/02/29 -27 1994/01/19 36.9 1998 21.0 1977 0.0 28.5 74.3 5.7
Spring 62.4 41.9 52.1 93 1965/05/25 -7 1980/03/02 58.0 1977 46.6 1960 0.4 2.1 22.5 0.1
Summer 83.8 63.4 73.6 104 1954/07/14 37 1992/06/22 78.1 2010 70.3 1992 15.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
Fall 65.0 44.6 54.8 100 1953/09/01 -2 1950/11/25 59.0 2007 48.9 1976 2.1 1.3 17.7 0.0

Precipitation

    Total Snowfall
  Avg. High Year Low Year 1 Day Max. >=
0.01 in.
>=
0.10 in.
>=
0.50 in.
>=
1.00 in.
Mean High Year
  in. in. - in. - in. dd/yyyy
or
yyyymmdd
# Days # Days # Days # Days in. in. -
January 2.89 12.69 1950 0.36 1981 2.82 03/1950 12 6 2 1 7.9 30.6 1978
February 2.44 5.35 1971 0.36 1978 2.49 26/1977 10 5 2 0 6.2 21.7 2003
March 3.58 10.74 1963 0.64 2001 3.00 04/1963 13 7 2 1 3.2 12.5 1996
April 3.70 8.09 1964 0.98 1976 2.56 25/1961 12 8 3 1 0.4 3.7 1957
May 4.28 9.25 1968 1.06 1988 3.80 30/2004 12 8 3 1 0.0 0.2 1989
June 4.16 10.26 1998 0.36 1988 3.80 07/1963 10 7 3 1 - - -
July 4.35 11.79 1992 0.55 1997 5.09 01/1987 10 7 3 1 - - -
August 3.32 8.34 1980 0.37 2010 4.46 06/1976 9 5 2 1 - - -
September 2.95 10.37 2003 0.24 1963 7.20 01/2003 8 5 2 1 - - -
October 2.82 7.84 1986 0.17 1963 3.88 10/1959 8 5 2 1 0.2 9.3 1989
November 3.37 8.50 1985 0.69 1999 4.15 14/1993 10 6 2 1 1.6 8.3 1966
December 3.12 7.72 1990 0.45 1976 2.12 14/1971 12 7 2 1 5.6 27.5 1973
   
Annual 41.00 56.81 1996 27.93 1954 7.20 2003/09/01 127 77 28 10 25.0 44.5 1977
 
Winter 8.45 22.33 1950 2.82 1963 2.82 1950/01/03 34 18 5 2 19.6 51.0 1982
Spring 11.56 21.05 1961 6.10 1966 3.80 2004/05/30 37 23 8 2 3.6 10.6 1975
Summer 11.84 21.08 1979 5.30 1966 5.09 1987/07/01 29 19 8 3 - - -
Fall 9.15 16.69 2003 2.59 1963 7.20 2003/09/01 26 16 6 2 1.8 9.9 1989
Indiana averages and extremes in precipitation and temperature and Top 10 U.S climate extremes.
Winter = Dec, Jan, and Feb Spring = Mar, Apr, and May
Summer = Jun, Jul, and Aug. Fall = Sep, Oct, and Nov
Data period is 1948 - 2010, Indianapolis Airport. Source: Western Regional Climate Center