2023 Meteorological Fall Recap

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- December 1 is upon Michiana, marking the end of meteorological fall and the start of winter.

Meteorological fall runs from September 1 to November 30, a three-month period that is easier to track and analyze weather patterns than the astronomical seasons.

Michiana's fall 2023 was filled with extremes in both precipitation and temperature, a testament to the transitional nature of autumn in the Midwest.

South Bend recorded its third-warmest daily low in South Bend history on September 5 with a muggy 73F, barely missing the warmest low ever recorded for that specific day.

The all-time record max low for September 5 was in 1983 and 1985 at 74F.

From Sept. 1 to November 30 in 2023, the average daily high was 64F.

Regardless of its inability to set a new record, this most recent September 5 well surpassed the day's average low of 56F.

The max high recorded this Fall was 93F (also on Sept. 5) while the minimum high was 24F, recorded recently on Nov. 28.

In terms of precipitation, Michiana accumulated just over eight and a half inches of rain over the past three months. 

Distribution of the wet weather was lopsided, with October being the rainiest month of the three and beating out November and September.

Just under six inches of rain fell during the spooky month with over half that rain being deposited in the first half of October.

Inversely, this November is on track to be the sixth driest in South Bend history, barely tallying nine-tenths of an inch of rain.

Snowfall has been lower than average this past month too, with only about two inches fallen so far.

Not only is this November's snowfall less than 2.7 inches below the normal amount in South Bend, but it comes nowhere close to the 30 inches of snow seen last November.