Bedford has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Bedford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bedford’s climate
Read from where Bedford sits among Indiana’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
10 inches of snow, 48 of rain and melt
May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bedford averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 83% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
What a year in Bedford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 20.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Bedford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
181 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 20.
About 10" a winter over 5 days with an inch or more, most in December.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through April. Heating is 85% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 18 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 86°.
The nicest months are April, May, June, September and October. 7.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →How Bedford compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Indiana.
Bedford weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 3.5" | 2.8" | 11 | 3 | 22° – 41° |
| February | 44° | 24° | 2.9" | 2.8" | 9 | 3 | 22° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 4.1" | 0.8" | 11 | 1 | 36° – 57° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 5.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 52° | 5.5" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 5.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 64° | 4.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 70° – 82° |
| August | 85° | 62° | 3.6" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 55° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| October | 68° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| November | 54° | 33° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 43° | 26° | 3.6" | 3.3" | 12 | 1 | 21° – 44° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 48.5" | 10.0" | 120 | 8 |
Heating and cooling a home in Bedford
85% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 44°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Bedford’s climate
What is the coldest month in Bedford?
January, with a typical high of 39° and a low of 22°.
What is the hottest month in Bedford?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 64°. About 18 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Bedford get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Bedford?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 20, and the last spring frost by April 20.
What is the rainiest month in Bedford?
May, with 5.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 48 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bedford.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bedford itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Bedford 4 Sw, IN (2 mi, snow) and Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm, IN (4 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.