Indiana Climate
Top 5 Cities: Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, and Carmel
This month in numbers
April 2026 was Indiana's warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 14.94°C, a striking 4.4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This also marks the first time April's average temperature has reached this level in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures for April were also the highest on record, at 21.56°C, an anomaly of +4.8°C. Looking at the broader picture, the February–April 2026 period ranked as the 4th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 8.05°C, 3.8°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with the February–April period also ranking as the 2nd warmest globally.
What changed
Indiana's exceptionally warm April contributed to a significantly warmer-than-average start to the year. The state's 1-month anomaly of +4.40°C places it 9th warmest among 234 regions globally. The broader Ohio Valley region, which includes Indiana, also experienced a notably warm April, with Indiana's anomaly being slightly warmer than the group average. This warming trend contrasts with some areas of the US, such as North and South Dakota, which experienced cooler-than-average conditions in April.
What’s driving change?
The pronounced warmth in Indiana can be attributed to broader climate patterns, including the ongoing trend of land warming faster than the ocean. The state also experienced a significant concentration of extreme weather events recently. In the past month, Indiana has seen four wildfire events, representing 100% of the annual total, which is an unusual concentration for the region. Additionally, there have been two drought events and one flood event, each representing 100% of their respective annual totals. While recent heavy rainfall has mitigated wildfire risk in some areas, moderate drought conditions persist in parts of southern Indiana. Severe weather, including strong winds, hail, and flooding, was also reported across central and southern Indiana in late April and mid-May, leading to flood warnings in several areas. You can track these and other events on our live tracker at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Forecasters indicate a slight possibility of frost or freeze events in the coming weeks, particularly in low-lying and northern areas, which could impact emerging vegetation.
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.