Columbia weather in October

In October, Columbia sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 47°F, with 3.3 in of precipitation across 8.8 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 72°F in the first days to 60°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Columbia's 2nd-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Columbia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
6th warmest
Overnight low
47°
7th coldest
Precipitation
3.3 in
8.8 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:25 AM – 5:23 PM
Cloud cover
50%
2nd clearest
Wind
7 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
3.44 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Columbia is city in and county seat of Boone County, Missouri, United States.

Density
765/km²
people per km²
Founded
1821

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 72°F in the first days to 60°F by the end.

A typical October day in Columbia reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 47°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 12°F cooler than September and about 13°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17353
27352
37352
47251
57251
67151
77150
87050
97049
106949
116949
126848
136848
146748
156747
166747
176647
186646
196546
206546
216446
226445
236345
246344
256244
266244
276143
286143
296043
306042
316042

How October really feels in Columbia

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

October sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Columbia 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
Jan38° / 23°2.27.23.79.60.0
Feb44° / 27°2.36.92.910.50.7
Mar55° / 36°3.410.71.611.73.4
Apr65° / 46°5.111.60.3135.6
May74° / 56°5.313.3014.16.2
Jun83° / 66°4.411.9014.75.4
Jul88° / 69°3.79.5014.54.7
Aug86° / 67°3.08.9013.55.2
Sep79° / 59°3.47.7012.37.1
Oct67° / 47°3.38.80.1116.4
Nov53° / 36°3.17.81.19.93.3
Dec42° / 27°2.36.92.39.30.4

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 43%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36436
46436
56337
66238
76238
86139
96040
105941
115941
125842
135941
145842
155842
165842
175743
185743
195644
205644
215644
225545
235446
245446
255347
265248
275248
285149
295149
305149
315149

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Columbia gets around 3.3 in of rain and snow over 8.8 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 28% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1240
2240
3240
4240
5240
6250
7250
8250
9260
10260
11260
12270
13270
14270
15270
16280
17280
18290
19290
20290
21300
22300
23311
24311
25311
26321
27321
28321
29322
30322
31312

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 81% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
16616108
26616108
36715108
4691597
5701497
6721396
7731386
8741286
9761275
10781174
11781174
12811063
13811063
14821062
1583962
1683962
1785951
1886851
1986851
2086851
2186851
2286851
2386851
2486851
2586851
2687841
2788840
2888840
2988840
3088840
3190730

Wind in October

Winds average 7 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227light breeze
237light breeze
247light breeze
257light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 72 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:10 AM to 6:42 AM, and sunset from 5:46 PM to 5:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:105:46
211.66:115:45
311.56:125:43
411.56:135:41
511.46:145:40
611.46:155:38
711.36:165:37
811.36:175:35
911.36:185:34
1011.26:195:32
1111.26:205:31
1211.16:215:29
1311.16:225:28
1411.06:235:26
1511.06:245:25
1611.06:255:23
1710.96:275:22
1810.96:285:20
1910.86:295:19
2010.86:305:18
2110.86:315:16
2210.76:325:15
2310.76:335:14
2410.66:345:12
2510.66:355:11
2610.66:365:10
2710.56:375:09
2810.56:385:08
2910.46:395:06
3010.46:415:05
3110.46:425:04

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.44 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.94 kWh/m² to a high of 6.44 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 3.44 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.2Bright
34.1Bright
44.1Bright
54.0Bright
64.0Moderate
73.9Moderate
83.9Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.7Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.6Moderate
143.6Moderate
153.5Moderate
163.5Moderate
173.4Moderate
183.4Moderate
193.3Moderate
203.3Moderate
213.2Moderate
223.2Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.0Moderate
263.0Moderate
272.9Moderate
282.9Moderate
292.9Moderate
302.8Moderate
312.8Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Columbia?

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

6.4
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
3.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Columbia for sightseeing.

What to pack for Columbia in October

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

In October, Columbia sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 47°F. Worth packing: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

rain gear

UV index in Columbia 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 Columbia peaks around June 21 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 21UV 10Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May7Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Columbia 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 Columbia is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1616 µg/m³Nov 117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Columbia?

Columbia sits at 39.0°N, 92.3°W, 705 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Jefferson City, 27 mi away.

Topography around Columbia

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Columbia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 220 ft around an average of 728 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 387 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 640 ft.

The land around Columbia is covered by trees (47%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 2 miles, trees (52%) and grassland (30%) within 10 miles, and trees (41%), cropland (32%) and grassland (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
220 ft
10 miles
387 ft
50 miles
640 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
October weather nearby: Jefferson City 27 mi · Sedalia 51 mi · Hannibal 74 mi · Rolla 76 mi · Warrensburg 76 mi · Wentzville 80 mi · Quincy 84 mi · Fort Leonard Wood 86 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 Columbia (38.9517°, -92.3341°, elevation 705 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).