South Bend climate — normals and trends
South Bend (United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 9.7 °C and it receives 1,003 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is July (22.7 °C on average) and the coldest is January (-4.3 °C). Rainfall peaks in May.
South Bend averages 119 frost days, 23 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 131 rainy days per year.
South Bend has warmed by +2.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.25 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The number of frost days there went from about 136 to 102 per year over the period.
The hottest day of the period reached 39.1 °C (on 6 July 2012) and the coldest -30.3 °C (on 19 January 1994).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
South BendIndiana
- coords
- 41.68°, -86.25°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
9.7°C
Average daily high
14.4°C
Average daily low
5.3°C
Annual rainfall
1,003mm
Sunshine / day
8.4h
Mean relative humidity
73%
Average peak wind
18.8km/h
Seasonal range
27.0°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
119 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
23 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
131 d/yr
Annual snowfall
88.3 cm
Average feels-like high
12.5 °C
Average feels-like low
2.4 °C
Average peak gust
39.1 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
21 d/yr
Solar radiation
14.6 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+2.2 °C
since 1940
+0.3 °C per decade · r² = 0.42 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
39.1 °C
6 July 2012
Coldest day
-30.3 °C
19 January 1994
Wettest day
81 mm
18 May 2000
Windiest day
49.3 km/h
30 April 1984
Strongest gust
105.1 km/h
16 November 1960
Hottest feels-like
45.0 °C
14 July 1995
Coldest feels-like
-36.7 °C
19 January 1994
Snowiest day
25.6 cm
26 January 1967
Sunniest day
14.7 h
23 June 2025
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.2 °C | -0.4 °C | 44 mm | -19 mm |
| Feb | 1.2 °C | +0.2 °C | 29 mm | -25 mm |
| Mar | 12.6 °C | +5.4 °C | 100 mm | +20 mm |
| Apr | 15.6 °C | +1.2 °C | 96 mm | -4 mm |
| May | 19.4 °C | -1.2 °C | 127 mm | +22 mm |
| Jun | 27.9 °C | +2.0 °C | 125 mm | +20 mm |
| Jul | 29.0 °C | +1.3 °C | 198 mm | +100 mm |
| Aug | 26.4 °C | -0.3 °C | 77 mm | -14 mm |
| Sep | 25.2 °C | +2.1 °C | 38 mm | -42 mm |
| Oct | 19.1 °C | +2.5 °C | 67 mm | -13 mm |
| Nov | 8.8 °C | +0.2 °C | 66 mm | -12 mm |
| Dec | 1.6 °C | -0.4 °C | 73 mm | +4 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of South Bend?
South Bend has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 9.7 °C and it receives 1,003 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in South Bend?
The hottest day measured in South Bend between 1940 and 2025 was 6 July 2012, reaching 39.1 °C.
What is the coldest day in South Bend?
The coldest day measured in South Bend between 1940 and 2025 was 19 January 1994, at -30.3 °C.
Does it snow in South Bend?
Yes. South Bend gets on average 88.3 cm of snow per year and has around 119 frost days.
Has the climate of South Bend warmed?
Yes: South Bend warmed by +2.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in South Bend?
The wettest day measured in South Bend between 1940 and 2025 was 18 May 2000, with 81 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in South Bend?
The windiest day measured in South Bend between 1940 and 2025 was 30 April 1984, with winds reaching 49.3 km/h.
What is the warmest month in South Bend?
The warmest month in South Bend is July (22.7 °C on average); the coldest is January (-4.3 °C).
How much does it rain in South Bend?
South Bend receives on average 1,003 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 131 rainy days.
Is it sunny in South Bend?
South Bend gets on average 8.4 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,066 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in South Bend?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in South Bend between 1940 and 2025 was 26 January 1967, with 25.6 cm.
Are there tropical nights in South Bend?
Yes: South Bend has on average 21 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in South Bend?
In South Bend, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 45.0 °C on 14 July 1995, and the lowest was -36.7 °C on 19 January 1994.
Compare South Bend with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around South Bend