Fall Frost and Freeze Information for the Northern Indiana Forecast Area

The fall season is underway across the area and it's the time of year when the possibility for frost and freezing temperatures at night return. Typically, frost can occur when the temperature falls below 36°F, especially in rural areas. It is a localized phenomena and can be quite variable across a small area. While the National Weather Service does not keep track of "frost" in observations per se, we do keep track of when temperatures hit the freezing mark or fall below. Frost becomes more widespread when the temperature falls below 32°F with some freeze possible. A hard freeze is possible when temperatures fall below 28°F. The maps below, courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center, show the average dates for the first freeze and hard freeze of the fall. Click on the images for a larger resolution.

Freeze Information for the Local Area

The table below shows the normal first, earliest first, and latest first date of temperatures at or below 32°F for the fall season at locations across the area.

Location	Average First Date*	Earliest Date	Latest Date	Record Period
Benton Harbor	October 13	September 13, 2017 (1985)	November 26. 1890	1890-present
Defiance, OH	October 19	October 1, 2009	November 11, 2016	1998-present
Fort Wayne	October 15	September 23, 1995 (1974, 1967)	November 24, 1931	1912-present
Goshen, IN	October 13	October 1, 2009	October 28, 2007	1997-present
Lima, OH	October 18	October 1, 2009	November 12, 2016	1998-present
South Bend	October 17	September 21, 1897	November 11, 1985	1893-present

*Averages are computed as a simple mean for the 30 year period of 1991 to 2020 and should not be considered a "climatological normal"

(i.e., not an official climate normal calculated by NCEI)

The table below shows the normal first, earliest first, and latest first date of temperatures at or below 28°F for the fall season at locations across the area.

Location	Normal First Date*	Earliest Date	Latest Date	Record Period
Benton Harbor	October 26	September 24, 1989	December 4, 1899	1890-present
Defiance, OH	October 28	October 14, 2002	November 14, 2022	1998-present
Fort Wayne	October 29	October 3, 1974	November 25, 1931	1912-present
Goshen, IN	October 24	October 2, 2003	November 14, 2022	1997-present
Lima, OH	October 30	October 14, 2002	November 14,2022	1998-present
South Bend	November 3	October 2, 1908	November 26, 1902	1893-present

*Averages are computed as a simple mean for the 30 year period of 1991 to 2020 and should not be considered a "climatological normal"

(i.e., not an official climate normal calculated by NCEI)

Dates of Earliest First 32°F and 28°F Freeze

Click on the maps below to go to the most recent versions of the data from Midwestern Regional Climate Center.

Page updated, all data tables 10/13/2024 -KB