South Bend climate
South Bend (Indiana, United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 10 °C50 °F, and about 994 mm39 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
South Bend climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 032 | −818 | −425 | 622.4 | 29 |
| Feb | 134 | −719 | −327 | 582.3 | 27 |
| Mar | 846 | −228 | 337 | 632.5 | 23 |
| Apr | 1559 | 338 | 949 | 883.5 | 8 |
| May | 2170 | 1050 | 1560 | 1124.4 | 0 |
| Jun | 2679 | 1660 | 2170 | 983.9 | 0 |
| Jul | 2983 | 1864 | 2374 | 1003.9 | 0 |
| Aug | 2883 | 1763 | 2373 | 1074.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 2576 | 1355 | 1966 | 803.2 | 0 |
| Oct | 1762 | 643 | 1153 | 943.7 | 2 |
| Nov | 948 | 033 | 540 | 692.7 | 15 |
| Dec | 236 | −524 | −130 | 612.4 | 26 |
| Year | 2983 | −818 | 1050 | 99439 | 130 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87% | 76% | 1.6 | 9:28 |
| Feb | 85% | 75% | 2.4 | 10:32 |
| Mar | 81% | 68% | 3.5 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 77% | 64% | 4.7 | 13:17 |
| May | 78% | 65% | 5.4 | 14:31 |
| Jun | 76% | 58% | 6.1 | 15:11 |
| Jul | 74% | 50% | 6.2 | 14:55 |
| Aug | 72% | 50% | 5.4 | 13:50 |
| Sep | 72% | 48% | 4.4 | 12:25 |
| Oct | 75% | 61% | 2.9 | 10:00 |
| Nov | 80% | 67% | 1.9 | 9:46 |
| Dec | 86% | 77% | 1.3 | 9:10 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of South Bend is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 29 °C83 °F and a low of 18 °C64 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 0 °C32 °F and lows −8 °C18 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 27.2 °C48.9 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 994 mm39 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is May (112 mm4.4 in), the driest is February (58 mm2.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 72% in August to 87% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 48%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in August to 14 km/h (9 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 9.2 hours in December to 15.2 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit South Bend
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June and September: average highs of 25 °C76 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 80 mm3.2 in to 98 mm3.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 0 °C32 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for South Bend
- Winter (December–February) — highs 032 to 2 °C36 °F, lows −818 to −5 °C24 °F, about 60 mm2.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 846 to 21 °C70 °F, lows −228 to 10 °C50 °F, about 88 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2679 to 29 °C83 °F, lows 1660 to 18 °C64 °F, about 102 mm4.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 948 to 25 °C76 °F, lows 033 to 13 °C55 °F, about 81 mm3.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How South Bend compares
Compared with Fort Wayne, about 112 km to the southeast, South Bend has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in April (0.5 °C0.9 °F cooler).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, South Bend is the 196th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 104th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Windsor (Canada, Dfa), Baia Mare (Romania, Dfa) and St. Catharines (Canada, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Fort Wayne 112 km · 10 °C51 °F · 966 mm38 in
- Chicago 118 km · 10 °C50 °F · 982 mm39 in
- Grand Rapids 150 km · 9 °C48 °F · 967 mm38 in
- Joliet 153 km · 10 °C51 °F · 985 mm39 in
- Aurora 172 km · 10 °C49 °F · 983 mm39 in
- Elgin 173 km · 10 °C49 °F · 983 mm39 in
- Lansing 182 km · 9 °C48 °F · 885 mm35 in
- Milwaukee 203 km · 9 °C48 °F · 945 mm37 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in South Bend?
July is the warmest month in South Bend, with an average high of 29 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
What is the coldest month in South Bend?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 0 °C (32 °F) and an average low of -8 °C (18 °F).
When does it rain the most in South Bend?
May is the wettest month with about 112 mm (4.4 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 58 mm (2.3 in).
What is the best time to visit South Bend?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June and September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.