South Bend, Ind. – Northern Indiana just wrapped up one of its coldest late August stretches in more than a century, with both Fort Wayne and South Bend landing in the top 10 coldest on record.
According to the National Weather Service in Northern Indiana, the 12-day period from August 22 through September 2 averaged just 63.7 degrees in both cities. South Bend’s reading ranked as the ninth coldest on record, while Fort Wayne tied for the sixth coldest since official records began.
The unseasonably cool stretch kept highs well below normal, trimming outdoor events and leaving many residents reaching for light jackets instead of shorts. Typically, late August in Indiana still sees highs in the upper 70s to low 80s, but this year’s prolonged cool air mass held temperatures down for nearly two weeks.
Farmers in northern counties have noted slower crop growth during the chilly spell, and some school districts reported cooler-than-normal classrooms with windows open to save energy costs.
Forecasters say temperatures will rebound gradually through the week, with highs returning to near seasonal levels by early next week.
