Cedar Falls weather in October

In October, Cedar Falls sees average daytime highs of 61°F and overnight lows near 41°F, with 2.8 in of precipitation across 8.2 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 67°F in the first days to 54°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% 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 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Cedar Falls's 4th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cedar Falls's year-round climate.

Daytime high
61°
6th warmest
Overnight low
41°
7th coldest
Precipitation
2.8 in
8.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:30 AM – 5:19 PM
Cloud cover
55%
4th clearest
Wind
10 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.08 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

Cedar Falls is city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States.

Density
535/km²
people per km²
Founded
1845

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 67°F in the first days to 54°F by the end.

A typical October day in Cedar Falls reaches about 61°F in the afternoon and slips back to 41°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 47°F and 74°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 13°F cooler than September and about 15°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16747
26747
36746
46646
56646
66545
76545
86544
96444
106444
116343
126343
136242
146242
156142
166141
176041
186040
195940
205940
215839
225839
235739
245738
255638
265637
275537
285537
295436
305436
315335

How October really feels in Cedar Falls

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 9 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
9
wind chill below the day's low

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

Cedar Falls 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
Jan27° / 11°1.46.75.59.20.0
Feb31° / 15°1.46.34.610.30.0
Mar45° / 27°2.593.211.61.2
Apr59° / 39°4.3111.113.14.3
May70° / 51°5.013.20.114.46.0
Jun79° / 61°5.112.4015.16.3
Jul82° / 64°4.110.1014.86.5
Aug80° / 61°4.09.7013.76.8
Sep73° / 53°3.68.5012.37.1
Oct61° / 41°2.88.20.410.85.2
Nov45° / 29°2.16.929.61.3
Dec32° / 18°1.66.958.90.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35743
45743
55644
65545
75644
85545
95545
105446
115347
125347
135347
145248
155248
165149
175149
185050
194951
204951
214852
224753
234654
244654
254654
264654
274456
284456
294456
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Cedar Falls gets around 2.8 in of rain and snow over 8.2 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 26% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1270
2270
3270
4270
5270
6270
7270
8270
9270
10270
11270
12271
13271
14261
15261
16261
17271
18271
19261
20262
21262
22262
23262
24252
25253
26253
27243
28243
29243
30234
31234

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 92% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1821053
2821053
384952
485852
586842
687742
787742
889641
989641
1090631
1191531
1291531
1391531
1492521
1593520
1693520
1793520
1893520
1993520
2094420
2194420
2295410
2395410
2495410
2595410
2696310
2796310
2896310
2996310
3097210
3197210

Wind in October

Winds average 10 mph in October.

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

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
2010light breeze
2110light breeze
2210light breeze
2310light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light 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 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 84 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:12 AM to 6:49 AM, and sunset from 5:45 PM to 4:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:125:45
211.56:145:43
311.46:155:42
411.46:165:40
511.36:175:38
611.36:185:36
711.36:195:35
811.26:215:33
911.26:225:31
1011.16:235:29
1111.16:245:28
1211.06:255:26
1311.06:275:24
1410.96:285:23
1510.96:295:21
1610.86:305:19
1710.86:315:18
1810.76:335:16
1910.76:345:15
2010.66:355:13
2110.66:365:12
2210.56:385:10
2310.56:395:09
2410.56:405:07
2510.46:415:06
2610.46:435:04
2710.36:445:03
2810.36:455:02
2910.26:465:00
3010.26:484:59
3110.16:494:58

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.08 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.7 kWh/m² to a high of 6.38 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 3.08 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.7Moderate
43.6Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.6Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.4Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.0Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
202.9Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Cedar Falls?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
1.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Cedar Falls for sightseeing.

What to pack for Cedar Falls in October

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

In October, Cedar Falls sees daytime highs around 61°F and nights near 41°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Cedar Falls in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cedar Falls peaks around June 18 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 18UV 9Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Cedar Falls in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Cedar Falls is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 7 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateGoodJul 1916 µg/m³Oct 217 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr11Good
May12Good
Jun13Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct7Good
Nov8Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Cedar Falls?

Cedar Falls sits at 42.5°N, 92.4°W, 879 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Waterloo, 5.6 mi away.

Topography around Cedar Falls

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Cedar Falls has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 164 ft around an average of 902 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 230 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 604 ft.

The land around Cedar Falls is covered by trees (47%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 2 miles, cropland (62%) within 10 miles, and cropland (83%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
164 ft
10 miles
230 ft
50 miles
604 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
October weather nearby: Waterloo 5.6 mi · Marshalltown 40 mi · Cedar Rapids 55 mi · Marion 55 mi · Mason City 58 mi · Newton 65 mi · Ames 69 mi · North Liberty 69 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 Cedar Falls (42.5278°, -92.4455°, elevation 879 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).