Heat stress in Indianapolis
Humid continental summers with hot, sticky afternoons and periodic heat advisories.
Heat stress is low right now: normal outdoor activity is fine.
Wet-bulb globe temperature via the Liljegren (2008) method. This page is cached and refreshes in the background, so the live badge below can be a few minutes ahead of it.
View Indianapolis on the live mapReading heat stress in Indianapolis
Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is the heat measure that actually tracks danger to the body. Unlike the plain air temperature on your phone, it folds in humidity, wind, and direct sun: the factors that decide whether your sweat can still cool you. It’s the standard the military, athletic associations, and occupational-safety bodies use to call when outdoor activity is no longer safe.
That matters in Indianapolis because humid continental summers with hot, sticky afternoons and periodic heat advisories. The number above is the live outdoor WBGT for the city right now; tap through to the live map to inspect any neighborhood, scrub the forecast hour by hour, and see the 7-day outlook.
How hot Indianapolis usually gets
Across 2015–2024, Indianapolis averaged a 83°F daily high in summer: 114th hottest of the 174 metros we track, and July is typically the warmest month.
Heat arrives in bursts here rather than settling in, with only about 9 days a year at or above 90°F.
Humidity is the real story: summer averages about 71%, so sweat evaporates poorly and heat stress runs well above what a 83°F afternoon suggests.
A bad day runs well past a normal one, with 95°F recorded against a 83°F summer average.
Daily high temperatures and humidity from ERA5 reanalysis, 2015–2024 (hottest day in the sample: 2020-07-19). These are climate averages for context: the reading at the top of this page is the live one.
For school sports, IHSAA (Indiana High School Athletic Association) publishes IHSAA Heat Index Information & Chart. That document sets no WBGT limits, so no Indiana activity zones appear beside the live reading. The heat-stress guidance on this page applies to anyone outdoors. Our Indiana heat policy page has the details, the source and the date we last checked it.
Heat in Indianapolis: common questions
How hot does it usually get in Indianapolis?
Across 2015–2024, Indianapolis averaged a 83°F daily high through summer, with about 9 days a year at or above 90°F. July is typically the hottest month, and the hottest day in that sample reached 95°F. Figures are from ERA5 daily reanalysis.
When is the hottest time of year in Indianapolis?
July has the highest average daily high in Indianapolis. Humidity is the real story here: summer averages about 71%, so sweat evaporates poorly and heat stress runs well above what the temperature alone suggests. Use the forecast on this page to plan around the specific days that matter.
Does Indiana have a heat policy for school sports?
IHSAA (Indiana High School Athletic Association) publishes IHSAA Heat Index Information & Chart. That document sets no WBGT limits, so no Indiana activity zones appear beside the live reading. The heat-stress guidance on this page applies to anyone outdoors. Our WBGT is a modeled estimate rather than an on-site measurement, so check the association's own document for current requirements.
What is the WBGT in Indianapolis right now?
The reading at the top of this page is the current wet-bulb globe temperature for Indianapolis, Indiana, computed from live weather by the Liljegren (2008) method and labeled with how recently it updated. For an exact reading at your own neighborhood, plus an hour-by-hour forecast, open the live map.
Why is WBGT more useful than the temperature for Indianapolis?
Air temperature ignores humidity, wind, and sun: the things that decide whether heat is dangerous. Indianapolis's climate (humid continental summers with hot, sticky afternoons and periodic heat advisories.) is exactly why a single "feels-like" or thermometer reading can understate the real risk. WBGT captures all of it in one number.
When is heat most dangerous in Indianapolis?
July is the peak month in Indianapolis, and within a day heat stress is highest in the early-to-mid afternoon when sun load is greatest. Dangerous days are uncommon here, which is its own hazard: 9 days a year reach 90°F, and people are least acclimatized when they arrive. Use the forecast on this page to find the window that works.
Put Indianapolis’s live heat stress on your site
A self-updating WBGT badge for schools, teams, camps, and local sites: it always shows the current reading and links back here.
<iframe src="https://wetbulbtracker.com/embed/indianapolis-in" width="340" height="150" style="border:0" title="Live WBGT: Indianapolis, IN" loading="lazy"></iframe>Paste it into any website. The badge updates itself and links back here. Add ?theme=light for light sites.