Santa Claus, Indiana Weather
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias. Day 78 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Santa Claus weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Overcast——83°57°—
- FridayJun 5Overcast——84°62°+1°
- SaturdayJun 6Light Showers11%—81°64°-3°
- SundayJun 7Showers26%0.72″74°68°-7°
- MondayJun 8Light Showers61%0.12″77°67°+3°
- TuesdayJun 9Showers42%0.13″80°69°+3°
- WednesdayJun 10Heavy Drizzle32%—83°71°+3°
Ozone at AQI 51. AQI up 37 in the last 6 hours — air quality is degrading. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 51. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 51
- UV peak
- 0.2 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 6
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 7.7 µg/m³, PM10 at 8.8 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.88
- Wind
- light
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- background
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 4:43 AM
- Moonset
- 2:59 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias
Santa Claus at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 77°F — typical for the season
- Last frost: April 5 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 5, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Santa Claus
SPC has placed Santa Claus in the General Thunderstorms category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Santa Claus's warmest month is July (~77°F mean) and its coldest is January (~34°F). Rainfall peaks in May (5.4 inches) and bottoms out in August (2.9 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 3.5″ | 7 |
| February | 39° | 3.5″ | 6 |
| March | 47° | 4.8″ | 8 |
| April | 58° | 4.8″ | 8 |
| May | 66° | 5.4″ | 9 |
| June | 74° | 4.8″ | 7 |
| July | 77° | 4.5″ | 6 |
| August | 76° | 2.9″ | 5 |
| September | 70° | 3.6″ | 5 |
| October | 59° | 3.6″ | 5 |
| November | 47° | 4.2″ | 7 |
| December | 38° | 4.0″ | 7 |
Regional context
Santa Claus's baseline climate, derived from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals at the nearest reporting station, swings from a January mean of 34°F to a July mean of 77°F — a 42°F seasonal arc typical of the mid-latitude bands. Annual precipitation runs about 49.6 inches spread across roughly 79 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
Rainfall stays relatively even across the calendar: May tops out at 5.4 inches across 8.6 days with measurable rain, and August settles around 2.9 inches across 4.9 rainy days — a comparatively narrow seasonal range. The temperate, evenly-distributed pattern groups Santa Claus with places like Mariah Hill, IN, Dale, IN and Gentryville, IN, where seasonal storm tracks deliver moisture more uniformly than the continental interior.
The frost-sensitive growing window opens around mid-April, when overnight lows reliably clear freezing for cool-season crops like peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. Warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, and basil — typically wait two weeks past that date to avoid late spring cold snaps. The window closes around mid-November, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. These dates represent 30-year central tendencies; actual year-to-year variation can shift either bookend by 7-14 days, and local microclimate features within Santa Claus — cold-air drainage on calm clear nights, slope aspect, distance from any nearby lake or river — can push the practical frost window earlier or later than the regional average.
Similar climates: Mariah Hill, IN, Dale, IN, Gentryville, IN, St. Meinrad, IN, Newtonville, IN.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Santa Claus?
- Santa Claus's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Santa Claus?
- May is the wettest month with about 5.4 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 50 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Santa Claus?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 77°F.
- What is the coldest month in Santa Claus?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 34°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Santa Claus?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-April); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Santa Claus get?
- Santa Claus averages about 79 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Santa Claus?
- Santa Claus's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Santa Claus, Indiana sits in a humid subtropical climate zone. January means hover near 34°F while July averages 77°F — a 42°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Santa Claus receives about 50 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 79 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (38.1°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.