Your nature year
Indianapolis, Indianathrough the year
Also for Fishers, IN, Carmel, IN, Noblesville, IN, Greenwood, IN, Westfield, IN, Lawrence, IN, Plainfield, IN, Brownsburg, IN, Zionsville, IN, Greenfield, IN: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Indianapolis?
The closest place we follow is Hoosier National Forest, 116 miles away, for fall foliage, usually well under way by late October (statewide). For wildflowers, the nearest is Indiana Dunes (136 mi, Most years, the wildflowers peak from late April through mid-May (usually)).
Frost usually lets go around Apr 20 and comes back around Oct 21, according to the Indianapolis SE Side weather station (5.9 mi): roughly 184 days without it. Spring takes about 4 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. Spring green-up reaches town around Mar 25, with first blooms around Apr 23. Head south for the closest of the 2 places we follow around Indianapolis. Across Indiana, fall color is usually well under way by late October.
Updated Sep 29. 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)
Near Indianapolis right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by late October in IndianaStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~3 weeks
- First fall frost usually around Oct 21 · last spring frost around Apr 20NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Indianapolis SE Side (5.9 mi, 50% dates)~3 weeks
- Fall foliage · Hoosier National Forest · 116 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
Your guide around Indianapolis
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Hoosier National Forest · 116 miStatewide: usually well under way by late October~3 weeks
- Indiana Dunes · 136 miusually around mid-October~11 days
Wildflowers
- Indiana Dunes · 136 miUsually: Most years, the wildflowers peak from late April through mid-May~7 months
Indianapolis's nature year
- Mar: Spring green-upMar
- Wildflowers · Indiana DunesApr–May
- Apr: Last spring frostApr
- Oct: Fall color (IN)Oct
- Oct: First fall frostOct
Indianapolis's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 20 to ~Oct 21
- First leaf ~Mar 25
- First bloom ~Apr 23
- Fall color under way ~Oct 23 (IN)
- Today
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 20
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 21
About 184 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Mar 25
First bloom around Apr 23
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Indianapolis SE Side (5.9 mi from Indianapolis), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Snow in Indianapolis
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 29 (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 Indianapolis (8.6 mi away): 26 inches of snow in an average year, about 7.6 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.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Indianapolis?
On average around Oct 21, and the last spring frost around Apr 20: about 184 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Indianapolis SE Side, 5.9 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Indianapolis?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 25 and first bloom around Apr 23, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Indianapolis?
Hoosier National Forest, 116 miles (statewide: usually well under way by late October); Indiana Dunes, 136 miles (usually around mid-October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Indianapolis?
Indiana Dunes, 136 miles (usually: Most years, the wildflowers peak from late April through mid-May). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Indianapolis?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 29: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Indianapolis. An average year brings 26 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 29)