Frost and Freeze Information for Central Indiana

Frost / Freeze Dates for Central Indiana

Fall First Frost/Freeze Info (Spring Last Freeze Info Is Available Below)

Between September and early November, temperatures fall into the 30s across the Central Indiana.

Frost can be very localized and variable across a small area. Many of these locations represent locations that typically will be a few degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside. If you live in a rural or a low lying area, your first frost could be earlier than the dates presented below. Conversely, if you live in a heavily urbanized area, your first frost could be later than the dates presented.

Above are maps of the dates of the average first 32 degree and 28 degree temperatures. Maps are courtesy of the Midwest Regional Climate Center. Click the maps for a larger version. The bottom maps show locations across the Midwest that have already seen temperatures of 32 or below and 28 or below.

Below is data on typical frosts and freezes for selected locations in Central Indiana. Information presented contains the normal, earliest, and latest dates that selected temperatures have occurred at the locations.

For frost/freeze data for sites from all sections of Indiana, please download the pdf table from the National Climatic Data Center.

For frost data for hundreds of locations nationwide, visit:

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/freezefrost/frostfreemaps.html

Low Temperature of 36 degrees or lower

(Patchy frost possible in outlying, low areas)

Location	Normal First Date	Latest Date	Earliest Date	Records To
Farmland	September 27	October 27, 1914	August 29, 1965	1893
Kokomo	September 28	October 28, 1941	September 8, 1986	1901
Elwood	September 29	October 26, 2005	September 13, 1964	1948
Martinsville	September 29	October 17, 1973	September 8, 1986	1950
West Lafayette	September 29	November 7, 1940	August 29, 1965	1901
Delphi	September 30	October 25, 1914	August 29, 1965	1893
Muncie	October 1	October 26, 1967	September 12, 1993	1965
Seymour	October 2	November 8, 1900	September 12, 1955	1893
Spencer	October 2	October 17, 1973	September 12, 1955	1949
Whitestown	October 2	October 27, 1914	September 3, 1908	1901
Winchester Airpt	October 2	October 25, 1990	August 14, 1964	1942
Frankfort	October 3	October 27, 2005	August 29, 1965	1914
Newcastle	October 3	October 18, 1954	September 8, 1956	1949
Rushville	October 3	October 25, 2005	August 30, 1946	1901
Shelbyville	October 3	October 29, 1897	September 6, 1924	1897
Shoals	October 4	October 27, 1914	September 10, 1924	1913
Anderson	October 5	October 26, 2005	September 8, 1956	1895
Terre Haute	October 5	October 27, 1956	September 14, 1964	1955
Columbus	October 6	November 6, 1919	September 6, 1924	1893
Greenfield	October 6	November 4, 1971	September 14, 1923	1903
Rockville	October 6	October 25, 2005	September 13, 1902	1893
Greencastle	October 7	November 4, 1971	September 14, 1923	1895
Indianapolis Airpt	October 7	October 28, 2005	September 20, 1991	1943
Washington	October 8	November 8, 1956	September 13, 1902	1897
Freelandville	October 9	November 8, 1956	September 22, 1983	1929
Crane Naval Dep	October 11	November 8, 1956	September 22, 1983	1942
Bloomington	October 13	November 5, 1971	September 13, 1899	1895

Low Temperature of 32 degrees or lower

(Frost becomes widespread, with isolated pockets of hard freeze possible)

Location	Normal First Date	Latest Date	Earliest Date	Records To
Farmland	October 06	November 11, 1897	September 17, 1937	1893
Martinsville	October 06	October 28, 2005	September 14, 1964	1950
Delphi	October 08	October 29, 2005*	September 14, 1964	1893
Kokomo	October 08	November 12, 1919	September 20, 1991	1901
Spencer	October 08	November 02, 1984	September 20, 1991	1949
Elwood	October 09	November 04, 1971	September 18, 1959	1948
West Lafayette	October 09	November 13, 1946	September 18, 1959	1901
Whitestown	October 10	November 11, 1918	September 03, 1908	1901
Frankfort	October 11	November 16, 1922	September 12, 1955	1914
Newcastle	October 11	November 04, 1971	September 17, 1959	1949
Terre Haute	October 11	November 03, 1973	September 21, 1991	1955
Muncie	October 12	November 04, 1971	September 20, 1991	1965
Seymour	October 12	November 08, 1947	September 15, 1923	1893
Shoals	October 12	November 06, 1947	September 15, 1919	1913
Winchester Arpt	October 13	November 08, 1947	September 20, 1956	1942
Rockville	October 14	November 23, 1902	September 16, 1916	1893
Rushville	October 14	November 09, 2004	September 14, 1923	1901
Greenfield	October 15	November 20, 2001	September 14, 1923	1903
Shelbyville	October 15	November 11, 1897	September 14, 1923	1897
Indianapolis Arpt	October 16	November 08, 1956	September 30, 1993	1943
Anderson	October 17	November 20, 1985	September 19, 1901	1895
Columbus	October 19	November 12, 1919	September 14, 1902	1893
Greencastle	October 20	November 23, 1902	September 23, 1995	1895
Washington	October 20	November 15, 1970	September 24, 1928	1897
Crane Naval Dept	October 23	November 22, 1994	September 22, 1983	1942
Freelandville	October 23	November 20, 1985	September 25, 1950	1929
Bloomington	October 24	November 23, 1902	September 13, 1899	1895

Low Temperature of 28 degrees or lower

(Widespread Hard Freeze is Likely)

Location	Normal First Date	Latest Date	Earliest Date	Records To
Farmland	October 19	November 28, 1902	September 23, 1995	1893
Kokomo	October 20	November 28, 1902	September 23, 1995	1901
Martinsville	October 20	November 10, 1986	October 02, 1974	1950
West Lafayette	October 21	November 25, 1931	September 23, 1995	1901
Delphi	October 22	November 17, 1946	September 23, 1995	1893
Spencer	October 22	November 15, 1975	September 23, 1995	1949
Frankfort	October 23	November 26, 1922	September 23, 1995	1914
Whitestown	October 23	November 22, 1994	September 23, 1995	1901
Elwood	October 24	November 21, 1985	September 29, 1951*	1948
Newcastle	October 24	November 21, 1985	September 18, 1959	1949
Muncie	October 25	November 20, 1985	September 23, 1995	1965
Seymour	October 26	November 21, 1985	September 24, 1928	1893
Shoals	October 26	November 21, 1985	September 24, 1928	1913
Rushville	October 27	November 20, 1985	September 28, 1942	1901
Terre Haute	October 27	November 23, 1994	September 30, 2001	1955
Rockville	October 28	November 23, 1902	September 28, 1942	1893
Shelbyville	October 28	November 23, 1994	September 23, 1927	1897
Winchester Arpt	October 28	November 22, 1994	September 28, 1942	1942
Anderson	October 29	November 28, 1902	October 1, 1895	1895
Greenfield	October 29	November 21, 1985	September 26, 1928	1903
Indianapolis Arpt	October 30	December 03, 2004	October 03, 1974	1943
Columbus	October 31	November 24, 1994	September 24, 1928	1893
Greencastle	October 31	November 28, 1899	September 26, 1928	1895
Washington	November 01	December 4, 1899	October 09, 2001	1897
Bloomington	November 03	December 14, 2004	September 29, 1899	1895
Freelandville	November 03	December 14, 2004	October 07, 1952	1929
Crane Naval Dept	November 04	December 02, 2004	October 09, 1964	1942

Period of record is indicated for each individual site. Sites represent the nearest available official observation (with a significant period of record) to each one of the towns indicated.

The “Normal First Date” column indicates the 1971-2000 normal date of first occurrence.

Spring Last Freeze Information

For the latest freeze dates for Spring 2013, click this link.

As Spring progresses, many residents of Central Indiana begin to think of planting flowers and vegetables, and often wonder exactly when the threat of a freeze (defined here as a low temperature of 32 degrees or lower) will pass.

Above are maps of the dates of the average final 32 degree and 28 degree temperatures of the Spring. Maps are courtesy of the Midwest Regional Climate Center. Click the maps for a larger version.

Here is some information on the final spring freeze (32 degrees), including its average date of occurrence, and the earliest and latest dates in the spring that the final freeze has happened. All data is from Co-op and ASOS observations.

Location	Average Last Date	Latest Date	Earliest Date	Records Back to
Freelandville	April 11	May 10, 1966	March 22, 2005	1929
Washington	April 13	May 20, 1897	March 20, 1925	1897
Bloomington	April 14	May 27, 1961	March 25, 1998	1896
Crane Naval Depot	April 14	May 11, 1947	March 22, 1967	1942
Indianapolis	April 17	May 27, 1961	March 24, 1998	1871
Columbus	April 18	May 27, 1965	March 25, 2005	1894
Greencastle	April 20	May 25, 1925	March 25, 1998	1896
Seymour	April 20	May 27, 1961	March 23, 1895	1893
Greenfield	April 21	May 27, 1961	March 30, 1999	1904
Greensburg	April 21	May 27, 1961	March 28, 1999	1898
Terre Haute	April 21	May 27, 1961	March 27, 1999	1954
Rockville	April 22	May 25, 1925	March 27, 1999	1893
Rushville	April 22	June 1, 1966	March 31, 1999	1901
Shelbyville	April 23	May 27, 1961	March 30, 1999	1898
Winchester Airpt	April 24	May 27, 1961	March 30, 1999	1943
Muncie	April 25	May 19, 2002	March 28, 1999	1965
Shoals	April 25	May 28, 1961	March 27, 1913	1913
Anderson	April 25	May 27, 1961	March 23, 1981	1895
Whitestown	April 25	May 30, 1947	April 3, 1965	1901
Newcastle	April 26	May 27, 1961	March 31, 1999	1950
Frankfort	April 26	May 27, 1961	March 30, 1999	1914
Elwood	April 27	May 27, 1961	March 31, 1999	1948
Delphi	April 27	May 30, 1961	March 30, 1999	1893
Kokomo	April 28	May 27, 1915	April 2, 1941	1901
Martinsville	April 28	May 27, 1961	March 29, 1959	1950
Spencer	April 29	May 27, 1961	April 4, 1965	1949
West Lafayette	April 30	May 27, 1961	March 30, 1941	1901
Farmland	April 30	May 25, 1925	April 5, 1915	1893

For frost/freeze data for sites from all sections of Indiana, please download the pdf table from the National Climatic Data Center.

For frost data for hundreds of locations nationwide, visit:

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/freezefrost/frostfreemaps.html

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Data compiled by Climate Services Team

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office