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South Bend weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

South Bend swings through a wide annual range, with 48.4°F between the monthly means of its warmest and coldest months. No season stands out as markedly wetter. Precipitation arrives fairly evenly year-round. South Bend weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, extremes and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

+11.5°Fhigh well above average

69° / 44°Today
57° / 42°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+4.1°Faverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–4996frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 126 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 126 in the 1940s33days above 86°F a year now (2016–2025) · 17 in the 1940sdays above 86°F · 17 in the 1940s+4.1°F vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 2.7 incheshigh 31°low 19°February, rain 2.3 incheshigh 35°low 21°March, rain 3.3 incheshigh 46°low 29°April, rain 4.0 incheshigh 59°low 40°May, rain 4.2 incheshigh 70°low 51°June, rain 4.2 incheshigh 79°low 61°July, rain 4.0 incheshigh 83°low 65°August, rain 3.7 incheshigh 81°low 63°September, rain 3.2 incheshigh 74°low 56°October, rain 3.2 incheshigh 63°low 45°November, rain 3.2 incheshigh 48°low 35°December, rain 3.0 incheshigh 36°low 25°wettest month May, 4.2 inches · 41.0 inches a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Clear

Right now

68.0°

67°feels like
69%humidity
58°dew point
8 mphfrom NW
UV index3.2
sunrise08:10sunset18:47day length10h 37m
TodayPartly cloudy69°44°
TueOvercast67°48°
WedPartly cloudy71°52°
ThuDrizzle72°57°
FriOvercast70°53°
SatOvercast64°56°
SunOvercast60°55°

On this date: October 26

Today (forecast)
69° / 44°
Average for October 26
57° / 42°

High well above average · +11.5°F

  • Highest since 1940: 81.7° · 1963
  • Lowest since 1940: 26.4° · 1962
  • One year ago: 59° / 37°

Every October 26 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 26 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for South Bend is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 41.68°N, 86.25°W, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
41.68°N, 86.25°W
Time zone
America/Indiana/Indianapolis
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

23 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +3.4°F.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

The warmest month is July, with typical afternoon highs of 82.6°F and nights around 64.7°F. Around 40 nights a year stay above 68°F. In January, the coolest month, afternoons reach about 31.3°F and nights dip to 18.8°F. Around 95 days a year dip below freezing.

South Bend picks up roughly 41.0 inches a year, with a peak of 4.2 inches in May and as little as 2.3 inches in February.

The record here starts in 1940, and since then the annual mean in South Bend has climbed 4.1°F from the first ten years to the last ten. Days above 86°F have grown noticeably more frequent, from around 15 a year in the first decade to about 35 in the last.

Climate graph (climograph)

July is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 48°F. Wettest month: May (~4.2 in). Whole year averages ~41.0 inches of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 107 rainy days a year: most in April (~11), fewest in February (~7).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 0.08 in per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

South Bend month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Highest and Lowest are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightHighestLowest
January31.3°18.8°2.7 in89.3 h66.3° (1950)−22.3° (1994)
February34.6°20.5°2.3 in710.4 h71.9° (1999)−15.3° (1951)
March45.9°29.5°3.3 in911.7 h84.8° (2012)−11.3° (1980)
April59.1°40.1°4.0 in1113.1 h87.8° (1986)8.2° (1982)
May70.1°50.9°4.2 in1014.4 h94.5° (2018)25.2° (1966)
June79.5°60.8°4.2 in1015.0 h102.2° (1988)37.9° (1956)
July82.6°64.7°4.0 in914.7 h102.7° (2012)45.4° (1950)
August80.8°63.0°3.7 in813.7 h96.3° (2006)40.1° (1965)
September74.3°55.7°3.2 in812.3 h97.2° (1953)32.2° (1951)
October62.6°45.3°3.2 in810.8 h91.1° (1963)21.6° (1974)
November48.2°34.9°3.2 in99.6 h79.6° (1950)0.0° (1950)
December36.0°24.6°3.0 in99.0 h68.0° (1982)−13.5° (1976)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +4.1°F.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.46°F per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Mar–May is warming fastest: +0.66°F per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 86°F per year: 17.2 early in the record → 33.4 recently. Frost days: 126 → 96.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

Hottest day since 1940 in 2012, coldest in 1994: 102.7°F / −22.3°F.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~41.0 in/year on average. Last decade: +13% vs that average. Long-term trend: +0.84 in per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about South Bend

Which is the warmest month in South Bend?
On long-term average, the warmest month in South Bend is July (mean daily temperature of about 73.1°F) and the coolest is January (about 24.7°F).
How does today's temperature in South Bend compare to the historical average?
On October 26, 2026, South Bend is forecast to reach a high of 68.9°F and a low of 44.2°F. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 57.4°F and a low of 42.0°F, so today's high is 11.5°F warmer than that average.
How much has South Bend warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in South Bend is about 4.1°F warmer.
How much does it rain in South Bend?
South Bend receives about 41.0 inches of precipitation per year on long-term average, with May typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in South Bend?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in South Bend is about 49.9°F. The warmest month is July and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in South Bend by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in South Bend (°F, full record since 1940): January 31°/19°, February 35°/21°, March 46°/29°, April 59°/40°, May 70°/51°, June 79°/61°, July 83°/65°, August 81°/63°, September 74°/56°, October 63°/45°, November 48°/35°, December 36°/25°.
What is the weather like in South Bend in summer?
In summer, June through August, South Bend is wet and warm. Expect 79–83°F by day and 61–65°F at night, with July the warmest month. Rain falls on about 9 days a month, adding up to around 4.0 inches.
What is the weather like in South Bend in winter?
December to February is winter in South Bend, and it is cold, with afternoons close to freezing. Daytime highs sit at 31–36°F and nights at 19–25°F; January is the coldest month. Rain and snow fall on about 8 days a month, adding up to around 2.7 inches. No season is drier.
What is the weather like in South Bend in spring?
Spring in South Bend (March to May) is cool. March starts at 46°F by day and 29°F at night; by May it is 70°F and 51°F. Rain falls on about 10 days a month, adding up to around 3.8 inches.
What is the weather like in South Bend in autumn?
Autumn in South Bend (September to November) is fairly mild. September still brings 74°F afternoons and 56°F nights, November only 48°F and 35°F. Rain is steady at around 3.2 inches a month, spread over roughly 8 days.
How many days a year does it rain in South Bend?
On long-term average, South Bend has about 107 days a year with at least 0.08 inches of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 41.0 inches.

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