FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Mother Nature welcomed October in with 80 degree daytime temps for residents of northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio. That may have some of you begging the question, “When will the first freeze arrive.” And if you’re wondering, the last time it dipped below 32 degrees in 2023 was on April 26, when the mercury dipped to 28 degrees.

A freeze in Fort Wayne in late September and early October has happened many times in our weather-record keeping history. A 32° freeze is more likely to happen first, followed by a 28° freeze, considered a hard freeze, which is most likely to kill many plants for the season.

Freezes have occurred in northeast Indiana as early as late September, but there have been years where the first freeze did not occur until November.

Climatologically speaking, it would not be unusual for our first freeze of the fall to occur soon.

If you’re curious how our freeze dates compare to other parts of the country, take a look at these maps examining the median dates of the first 32° freezes and 28° freezes across the nation.

  • The median dates of the first 32° freeze for locations across the US (Credit: Midwest Regional Climate Center)
  • The median dates of the first 32° freeze for locations across the US (Credit: Midwest Regional Climate Center)