Indianapolis has four distinct seasons with hot summers, cold winters and abundant rainfall. The city sits in a transition zone between the humid subtropical and humid continental climate types. Indiana is also in âTornado Alleyâ, the path taken by 80% of Americaâs tornados. It is typical of cities in the Midwest in terms of its weather, relatively flat topography and mix of prairie and deciduous forest.
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Summer, from June till September, is hot and sticky. Daytime temperatures often rise up into the 30s and high humidty makes it feel hotter. Indianapolisâ record high, occuring one July, was 41°C. The average high temperature sits around 30°C for the entire season, but July tends to be the hottest month. Mid season the temperature does drop significantly at night but it is rarely anything other than hot with an average low around 18°C. At the fringes of the season night times can cool off pleasantly to the mid teens. June has an average low of 16°C and September one of 13°C. It is sunniest at the start of the season which sees an average of ten hours of sunshine per day, decreasing to eight by September. Rainfall levels are quite high and rain often falls in violent storms with lightning and strong winds, but only around ten days per month experience wet weather. June is also the tail end of tornado season.
Autumn, in October and November, brings a swift change to the weather. October is still pretty hot and is perhaps a relief after the scorching summer heat â" though temperatures near the 30s are not unknown. It has an average high of 19°C and temperatures in the low 20s are common. October nights are actually very cool with an average low of 6°C. By November the summer has truly gone and it is generally quite chilly with an average high of 11°C and an average low 1°C â" frosts and snow can occur. Rainfall is moderate but it can be grey sometimes and sunshine levels drop to an average of four hours per day in November.
Winter, from December till February, is cold with the average high temperature dropping to 4°C in December, 1°C in January and back up to 4°C in February. It tends to get below freezing every night; the average low temperatures are -4°C, -8°C, and -5°C respectively. The winter months get around 70cm of snow in total. Sunshine levels drop but they arenât too bad with December, the greyest month, still seeing an average of three hours of sunshine per day.
Spring, from March till May, is tornado season. It is a time of rapid change as the snowy winter weather makes way for the baking summer to come. Spring is known for changeable, unpredictable weather. The average high temperature climbs to 11°C in March, 17°C in April and 23°C in May. The average low temperature sits at 0°C in March, 5°C in April and 11°C in May, so whatever happens in the day, night times are still pretty chilly. The sun returns but so does the rain. Brilliantly clear spells are often punctuated by wet and windy, and sometimes violent, weather. Warning systems for tornadoes are in place but they arenât perfect and donât give you a great deal of time to seek shelter, but tornadoes are hardly a daily occurrence.