Brookings weather in October

In October, Brookings sees average daytime highs of 57°F and overnight lows near 37°F, with 2.2 in of precipitation across 7.3 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 64°F in the first days to 50°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of October to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Brookings's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Brookings's year-round climate.

Daytime high
57°
6th warmest
Overnight low
37°
7th coldest
Precipitation
2.2 in
7.3 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
6:50 AM – 5:35 PM
Cloud cover
53%
4th clearest
Wind
11 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
3.04 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.4
out of 10

Brookings is city in and county seat of Brookings County, South Dakota, United States.

Density
701/km²
people per km²
Founded
1857

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 64°F in the first days to 50°F by the end.

A typical October day in Brookings reaches about 57°F in the afternoon and slips back to 37°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 42°F and 72°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 14°F cooler than September and about 16°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16543
26443
36442
46342
56342
66241
76241
86140
96140
106040
116039
125939
135938
145838
155838
165737
175737
185636
195636
205536
215535
225435
235334
245334
255233
265233
275133
285132
295031
304931
314931

How October really feels in Brookings

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 20 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
20
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Brookings weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 0.854.99.10.0
Feb28° / 11°0.84.54.510.20.0
Mar40° / 22°1.76.43.811.60.5
Apr55° / 34°3.19.72.413.23.5
May67° / 47°3.711.20.114.55.9
Jun77° / 58°4.512.2015.36.5
Jul81° / 62°3.18.70156.9
Aug79° / 59°3.28.4013.87.2
Sep71° / 50°2.87.5012.37.2
Oct57° / 37°2.27.31.110.84.4
Nov41° / 24°1.453.49.40.5
Dec28° / 13°0.94.95.18.70.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 46%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16139
26139
36139
46040
56040
65941
75842
85743
95644
105644
115545
125545
135545
145644
155545
165545
175446
185347
195347
205248
215248
225248
235149
245149
255050
264951
274951
284951
294951
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Brookings gets around 2.2 in of rain and snow over 7.3 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 22% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1261
2261
3261
4261
5261
6262
7262
8262
9262
10252
11252
12243
13233
14233
15223
16224
17214
18214
19214
20204
21204
22205
23205
24205
25206
26196
27196
28197
29197
30197
31198

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 96% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19082
29082
39172
49262
59361
69451
79451
89451
99541
109541
119541
129631
139730
149730
159820
169820
179820
189820
199820
209820
219820
229910
239910
249910
259910
269910
279910
289910
299910
309910
3110000

Wind in October

Winds average 11 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 10 mph on the calmest days to 11 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
111light breeze
211light breeze
311light breeze
411light breeze
511light breeze
611light breeze
711light breeze
811light breeze
911light breeze
1011light breeze
1111light breeze
1211light breeze
1311light breeze
1411light breeze
1511light breeze
1611light breeze
1711light breeze
1811light breeze
1911light breeze
2011light breeze
2111light breeze
2211light breeze
2311light breeze
2411light breeze
2511light breeze
2610light breeze
2710light breeze
2810light breeze
2910light breeze
3010light breeze
3110light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of October to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 90 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:31 AM to 7:10 AM, and sunset from 6:02 PM to 5:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:316:02
211.56:326:00
311.46:335:58
411.46:345:56
511.36:365:54
611.36:375:52
711.26:385:50
811.26:405:49
911.16:415:47
1011.06:425:45
1111.06:435:43
1210.96:455:42
1310.96:465:40
1410.86:475:38
1510.86:495:36
1610.76:505:35
1710.76:515:33
1810.66:525:31
1910.66:545:30
2010.56:555:28
2110.56:565:26
2210.56:585:25
2310.46:595:23
2410.47:005:22
2510.37:025:20
2610.37:035:19
2710.27:055:17
2810.27:065:16
2910.17:075:14
3010.17:095:13
3110.07:105:12

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.04 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.64 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 3.04 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.7Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.6Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.5Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.4Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.2Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.0Moderate
183.0Moderate
192.9Moderate
202.9Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.6Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Brookings

In seasonPeak

In October, Brookings sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Brookings's rainy season runs April–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Brookings?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.4
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.5
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Brookings for sightseeing.

What to pack for Brookings in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Brookings sees daytime highs around 57°F and nights near 37°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Brookings in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Brookings peaks around June 18 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 18UV 9Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May6High
Jun9Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Brookings?

Brookings sits at 44.3°N, 96.8°W, 1,621 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Watertown, 43 mi away.

Topography around Brookings

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Brookings.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Brookings has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 118 ft around an average of 1,627 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 246 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 974 ft.

The land around Brookings is covered by grassland (42%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 2 miles, cropland (63%) and grassland (29%) within 10 miles, and cropland (72%) and grassland (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
118 ft
10 miles
246 ft
50 miles
974 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Watertown 43 mi · Sioux Falls 53 mi · Mitchell 74 mi · Willmar 103 mi · Aberdeen 115 mi · Sioux City 127 mi · Mankato 139 mi · Saint Cloud 155 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Brookings (44.3114°, -96.7984°, elevation 1,621 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).