Indiana Climate
Top 5 Cities: Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, and Carmel
This month in numbers
March 2026 was exceptionally warm in Indiana, ranking as the 2nd warmest March on record in 77 years, with an average temperature of 9.17°C, a significant 4.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures also reached their 2nd highest on record for March, at 15.94°C, an anomaly of +6.2°C. Precipitation was also notably high, ranking 6th wettest for March with 146.05 mm, which is 54.7 mm above average. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The first three months of 2026 (January–March) saw an average temperature of 1.58°C, ranking as the 18th warmest such period on record, with an anomaly of +2.2°C. This places Indiana within a broader pattern of warmth across the United States, as 10 of the top 10 warmest regions by 1-month anomaly were US states, with Indiana itself ranking 22nd out of 234 regions globally for its March temperature anomaly. The Midwest region, which includes Indiana, has seen some improvement in drought conditions due to recent March rainfall, though moderate to extreme drought still affects parts of the region.
What’s driving change?
The significant warmth experienced in Indiana during March, coupled with heavy rainfall, can be attributed to a combination of factors. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but there is a strong forecast for an evolving El Niño phase in the coming months, with a 61% chance in May-Jul and increasing to 87% by July-Sep. This shift in ENSO can influence weather patterns, potentially leading to warmer and wetter conditions in some regions. Indiana experienced a notable concentration of extreme weather events in the past month, with two drought events and one flood event, representing 100% of the annual total for each type.
Heavy rainfall in early March led to significant flooding across central and southern Indiana, with the East Fork White River reaching major flood stage and crests approaching all-time records in several locations. This resulted in evacuations and even fatalities. Conversely, northern Indiana continued to experience severe to extreme drought conditions, despite some improvement from the March rainfall. These contrasting conditions highlight the complex and sometimes contradictory impacts of climate change. More information on extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker and on ENSO at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC 3-month outlook suggests an increasing likelihood of El Niño developing, with a 79% chance for June-August, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Indiana.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Indiana
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Indiana changing?
Indiana is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Indiana come from?
Climate data for Indiana comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Indiana climate data cover?
The Indiana climate profile covers Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend and surrounding areas. Indiana climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Indiana climate update refreshed?
The Indiana climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.