Carmel, Indiana climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Carmel's normal year runs from 19°F January nights to 84°F July afternoons, with 44.4 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 10.9°C, January lows of −7°C, July highs of 29°C, 1,128 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationCarmel (3 mi E)
- Station IDUSC00121303
- Location39.96°N 86.06°W
- Elevation752 ft (229 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population103,606
On October 23, the normal high in Carmel is 61°F and the normal low 40°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 32%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Carmel.
- Jan 35° 19°
- Feb 39° 21°
- Mar 49° 30°
- Apr 62° 41°
- May 72° 51°
- Jun 81° 61°
- Jul 84° 64°
- Aug 83° 62°
- Sep 77° 55°
- Oct 65° 43°
- Nov 51° 33°
- Dec 39° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Carmel each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 84°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 19°F. The most precipitation falls in June (5.45 in), the least in February (2.16 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35°F | 19°F | 26.6°F | 2.75 | 11 | <1 | 27 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 39°F | 21°F | 30.1°F | 2.16 | 10 | <1 | 25 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 49°F | 30°F | 39.5°F | 3.39 | 11 | <1 | 20 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 62°F | 41°F | 51.2°F | 4.25 | 12 | <1 | 6 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 72°F | 51°F | 61.5°F | 4.97 | 13 | <1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 81°F | 61°F | 70.9°F | 5.45 | 12 | 3 | <1 | 15 h |
| July | 84°F | 64°F | 74.2°F | 4.27 | 9 | 7 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| August | 83°F | 62°F | 72.6°F | 4.19 | 9 | 5 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| September | 77°F | 55°F | 65.8°F | 3.46 | 8 | 2 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 65°F | 43°F | 53.7°F | 3.30 | 10 | <1 | 4 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 51°F | 33°F | 41.6°F | 3.44 | 10 | <1 | 16 | 10 h |
| December | 39°F | 24°F | 31.6°F | 2.77 | 12 | <1 | 25 | 9 h 20 min |
| Year (annual) | 61°F | 42°F | 51.6°F | 44.40 | 126 | 18 | 122 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1°C | −7°C | −3.0°C | 70 mm |
| February | 4°C | −6°C | −1.1°C | 55 mm |
| March | 10°C | −1°C | 4.2°C | 86 mm |
| April | 17°C | 5°C | 10.7°C | 108 mm |
| May | 22°C | 11°C | 16.4°C | 126 mm |
| June | 27°C | 16°C | 21.6°C | 138 mm |
| July | 29°C | 18°C | 23.4°C | 108 mm |
| August | 28°C | 17°C | 22.6°C | 106 mm |
| September | 25°C | 13°C | 18.8°C | 88 mm |
| October | 18°C | 6°C | 12.1°C | 84 mm |
| November | 10°C | 0°C | 5.3°C | 87 mm |
| December | 4°C | −4°C | −0.2°C | 70 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Castleton (2 mi S) (6 miles away), gets 27 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00121303; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Carmel?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (8).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00121303.
When is the last frost in Carmel?
In Carmel, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 21 in half of years and after May 8 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 21 in half of years and before October 6 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 211 year in 10 after May 8; 9 in 10 after April 5
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 211 year in 10 before October 6; 9 in 10 before November 2
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 183 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 206 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 8 in half of springs and before November 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Carmel in zone 6a across its 5 ZIP code areas (6a in 46032, the largest).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Indiana · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00121303; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
What hardiness zone is each Carmel ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Carmel's 5 ZIP code areas are all in zone 6a. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in Carmel?
In a normal year in Carmel, 18 days a year reach 90°F, 122 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 126 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 18a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 122a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 33high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 126a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00121303.
How sunny is Carmel?
Over a year 73% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Carmel, 4.0 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (81%) and December the cloudiest (59%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 352nd (with 32 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 61% | 1.8 |
| February | 63% | 2.6 |
| March | 66% | 3.7 |
| April | 71% | 4.8 |
| May | 72% | 5.5 |
| June | 79% | 6.3 |
| July | 80% | 6.1 |
| August | 81% | 5.5 |
| September | 80% | 4.6 |
| October | 73% | 3.2 |
| November | 69% | 2.2 |
| December | 59% | 1.6 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Carmel need?
A normal year in Carmel brings 5,758 heating degree days, 7% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 920 cooling degree days, 1% more than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,326 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,189 | 0 |
| February | 977 | 0 |
| March | 790 | 2 |
| April | 425 | 10 |
| May | 170 | 63 |
| June | 21 | 199 |
| July | 3 | 290 |
| August | 5 | 241 |
| September | 78 | 102 |
| October | 364 | 14 |
| November | 701 | 0 |
| December | 1,035 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,758 | 920 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00121303. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Carmel been warmer than normal lately?
2024 averaged 54.2°F, 2.6°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 51.6°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 54.2°F | +2.6°F | 41.62 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00121303. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Carmel's climate compare?
Carmel is warmer than 48 of the other 98 places with their own NOAA record in Indiana, and wetter than 55. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 51.6°F is warmer than 48%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Carmel is Dfa: continental, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Carmel share this climate record?
4 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Fishers, INalso near: Castleton (2 mi S) (7 mi, 52.7°F a year); Greenfield (16 mi, 51.9°F a year)103,986 people · 5 mi E
- Noblesville, INalso near: Castleton (2 mi S) (11 mi, 52.7°F a year); Tipton (14 mi, 51.2°F a year)75,239 people · 6 mi NE
- Westfield, INalso near: Whitestown (11 mi, 51.9°F a year); Castleton (2 mi S) (12 mi, 52.7°F a year)62,994 people · 7 mi NW
- Riverwood, IN87 people · 11 mi NE
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Carmel's climate
What is the coldest month in Carmel?
January, with a normal high of 35°F and a normal low of 19°F. The warmest is July (84°F by day, 64°F at night).
Does it snow in Carmel?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Carmel's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Castleton (2 mi S) (6 miles away), records 27 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Carmel?
June, with 5.45 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.16 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Carmel in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Carmel in zone 6a across its 5 ZIP code areas (6a in 46032, the largest).
How late can frost come in Carmel?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 21; in one year in ten it comes after May 8. Waiting until May 8 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Carmel in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Indiana climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Castleton (2 mi S), IN6 miles from this station, 52.7°F a year
- Whitestown, IN16 miles from this station, 51.9°F a year
- Beech Grove, IN17 miles from this station, 51.8°F a year
- Tipton, IN18 miles from this station, 51.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made