Notre Dame, IN climate
Notre Dame has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Notre Dame feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Notre Dame 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 | 32° | 18° | 2.7" | 21.6" | 17 | 20 | 16° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 20° | 2.3" | 16.1" | 13 | 14 | 15° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 2.4" | 6.8" | 12 | 5 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 3.6" | 1.0" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 4.2" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.1" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.9" | 5.1" | 13 | 3 | 33° – 48° |
| December | 37° | 23° | 2.5" | 13.7" | 15 | 10 | 17° – 40° |
| Year | 59° | 40° | 39.9" | 64.5" | 148 | 52 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Notre Dame
Notre Dame gets 40 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 148 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 52 days of the year.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first one by October 23. That leaves about 181 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 54% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Notre Dame
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Notre Dame, 89% of that work is heating and 11% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Notre Dame and its neighbors
Notre Dame borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.0°. South Bend has both the coldest January nights (18°) and the hottest July afternoons (83°). Notre Dame’s January low is 18° and its July high 83°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Notre Dame compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Notre Dame averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°). The shift is larger than in 63% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Notre Dame’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 29° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Notre Dame’s climate
What is the coldest month in Notre Dame?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Notre Dame?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 17 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Notre Dame get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Notre Dame?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 23, and the last spring frost by April 23.
What is the rainiest month in Notre Dame?
June, with 4.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 40 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Notre Dame itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at South Bend Michiana Rgnl Airport, IN (4 mi, snow) and South Bend, IN (1 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.