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How long is the snow season in Indiana? | Live Doppler 13 Weather Blog

We typically get our first snow showers in November, but for much of Indiana, we have to wait until December for a full inch to accumulate on average.

INDIANA, USA — We are entering the snow season in Indiana. We typically get our first snow showers in November, but they can start as early as October! We've had some Halloweens with snow. But December seems to really start our snowy season.

However, some years, we wait until January.

Tap HERE to see the latest local forecast to check if there is any snow heading your way.

Snow season (average first 1" snow to average last 1" snow)

  • South Bend: 128 days
  • Fort Wayne: 106 days
  • Lafayette: 96 days
  • Richmond: 90 days
  • Indianapolis: 84 days
  • Bloomington: 74 days
  • New Albany: 58 days
  • Evansville: 56 days

There is a big difference from north to south, thanks to cooler weather in northern Indiana, plus the lake effect snow belts that keep Michiana white throughout the winter season.

Average first 1" of snow

The lake-effect snow belts in northern Indiana typically get their first 1 inch of accumulating snow in November. The rest of the way waits until December:

  • South Bend: Nov. 16 
  • Fort Wayne: Dec. 2
  • Lafayette: Dec. 6
  • Indianapolis: Dec. 8
  • Richmond: Dec. 10
  • Bloomington: Dec. 16
  • Evansville: Dec. 25
  • New Albany: Dec. 26

Southern Indiana typically gets its first 1 inch of snow near Christmas; however, only about 10-15% of Christmas days are white.

Credit: WTHR

Average last 1" of snow

Heavy accumulating snows typically stop by the end of February for the southern half of Indiana, while the northern Indiana has to wait until the end of March:

  • Bloomington: Feb. 27
  • New Albany: Feb. 22
  • Evansville: Feb. 17
  • Indianapolis: March 1
  • Richmond: March 9
  • Lafayette: March 10
  • Fort Wayne: March 16
  • South Bend: March 23
Credit: WTHR

We'll have to see how much snow we get this year! For all things winter weather heading into the 2024-25 season, including a look at the upcoming La Niña pattern, tap HERE.

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