From Frozen Jeans to Triple-Digit Heat Indexes in Indiana
Flashback to just six months ago, when wet pants would literally freeze solid in Indianapolis. Now we’re facing heat indexes as high as 106 degrees.
Remember When Jeans Froze Solid?
Indiana meteorologist Matt Standrich posted a photo this week of a pair of jeans he froze standing upright on a cold January night. With wind chills that reached from -3 in Evansville to -24 in Valparaiso, it was definitely cold enough to freeze just about anything.
Exactly 6 months ago, central Indiana had its coldest day and night of the winter. It was so cold you could freeze your pants in downtown Indianapolis…
Indianapolis had a high of 9 degrees with and low of -3 degrees (Jan 21 — or exactly 26 weeks ago). -Meteorologist Matt Standridge
Now? A 100-Degree Swing
Fast forward to this week, and we’re seeing heat indexes ranging from 93 degrees in Ft. Wayne to 105 degrees in Evansville. That’s a 100-degree temperature swing.
Indiana’s Weather Has Been Wild in 2025
We’ve had some historically weird weather this year: floods, tornadoes, ice storms, and what feels like never-ending rain. According to USA Today, this chaotic summer weather can mostly be blamed on one thing… humidity.
Why Has It Been So Humid?
So what’s behind all this sticky air? It turns out the main reason is the unusually warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico according to an article by USA Today.
So why has it been so humid? The main reason is due to the unusually warm waters of the Atlantic and the Gulf this season. ‘The subtropical waters around the U.S., and especially off the Eastern Seaboard, have warmed considerably, and the stronger flow out of the south and east around the Bermuda High has swept all of that muggy air from offshore much farther inland,’ [WPLG-TV meteorologist Michael Lowry] Lowry said.
Heat Advisory in Effect
According to the National Weather Service, we are currently under a Heat Advisory…