Indianapolis - Hottest Decades

Ranked here are the hottest decades on record for Indianapolis, Indiana. The lists include decades when Indianapolis had the highest average temperatures, the most hot days and the fewest cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Indianapolis International Airport and cover seven decades, from the 1950s to the 2010s.

That is when Indianapolis had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Hottest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Indianapolis
High °F Decade High °C
Highest 63.4 2010s 17.4
Runner-up 62.8 1990s 17.1

Warmest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Indianapolis
Low °F Decade Low °C
Highest 45.0 2010s 7.2
Runner-up 44.4 2000s 6.9

Most Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Indianapolis had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 168 2010s
Runner-up 167 1970s

Most Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Indianapolis had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 27 2010s
Runner-up 23 1950s

Fewest Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Indianapolis had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 104 2000s
Runner-up 106 1990s

Fewest Cold Days

Total days per year on average when Indianapolis had temperatures of 0 °F (-18 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 3 2010s, 2000s
Runner-up 4 1990s, 1950s

How Much Hotter are 2010s?

Compared with averages for the previous 50 years (1960 to 2009), the 2010s in Indianapolis had:

  • 10 more days each year with temperatures of 90 °F and higher
  • 1.1 °F higher daily maximum temperatures (0.7 °C)
  • 2.0 °F higher daily minimum temperatures (1.1 °C)
  • 7 fewer days a year with freezing temperatures
References

Current Results. 2020. Indianapolis IN Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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