Frost Information for Central Indiana

 
Frost / Freeze Dates for Central Indiana
 
While the overnight lows of the past few days have stayed well above normal, it is inevitable that cooler weather will return to Central Indiana. Between September and early November, temperatures will fall into the 30s across the area.
 
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.
 
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 last year (2007), the first date of 36 degrees in Indianapolis was October 28. The first date of 32 degrees was November 6, and the first date of 28 degrees was November 7.

 
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 23, 1995
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.
 
 
For frost data for hundreds of locations nationwide, visit:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/freezefrost/frostfreemaps.html
--------------------------------
Data compiled by Logan Johnson, Climate Services Focal Point


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