Your nature year
Bloomington, Indianathrough the year
Also for Terre Haute, IN: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Bloomington?
We follow 3 places within 150 miles of Bloomington; the nearest lies 72 miles to the south. The closest place we follow is Hoosier National Forest, 72 miles away, for fall foliage, usually well under way by late October (statewide). For wildflowers, the nearest is Mammoth Cave (139 mi, Mar 1–May 31 (local timing)). Expect about 194 frost-free days in Bloomington: the last spring frost usually comes around Apr 15, the first fall one around Oct 26, going by NOAA's Bloomington Indiana Univ station 0.7 miles away. Spring green-up reaches town around Mar 21, with first blooms around Apr 20. Bloomington sits at about 815 feet. Across Indiana, fall color is usually well under way by late October.
Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Bloomington's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 15 to ~Oct 26
- First leaf ~Mar 21
- First bloom ~Apr 20
- Fall color under way ~Oct 23 (IN)
- Today
Near Bloomington right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by late October in IndianaStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~4 weeks
- First fall frost usually around Oct 26 · last spring frost around Apr 15NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Bloomington Indiana Univ (0.7 mi, 50% dates)~4 weeks
- Fall foliage · Hoosier National Forest · 72 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
Bloomington's nature year
- Wildflowers · Mammoth CaveMar–May
- Spring green-upMar
- Last spring frostApr
- Fall color (IN)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Hoosier National Forest · 72 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
- Mammoth Cave · 139 miLocal timing: Oct 21–31~3 weeks
- Shawnee National Forest · 147 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~4 weeks
Wildflowers
- Mammoth Cave · 139 miLocal timing: Mar 1–May 31~5 months
Snow in Bloomington
Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 22 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Bloomington Indiana Univ (0.7 mi away): 18 inches of snow in an average year, about 5.4 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 15
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 26
About 194 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Mar 21
First bloom around Apr 20
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Bloomington Indiana Univ (0.7 mi from Bloomington), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Bloomington?
On average around Oct 26, and the last spring frost around Apr 15: about 194 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Bloomington Indiana Univ, 0.7 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Bloomington?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 21 and first bloom around Apr 20, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Bloomington?
Hoosier National Forest, 72 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October); Mammoth Cave, 139 miles (local timing: Oct 21–31); Shawnee National Forest, 147 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Bloomington?
Mammoth Cave, 139 miles (local timing: Mar 1–May 31). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Bloomington?
Snow usually becomes possible around Dec 22: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Bloomington Indiana Univ. An average year brings 18 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)