Columbus weather in October

In October, Columbus sees average daytime highs of 76°F and overnight lows near 54°F, with 3.5 in of rain across 6.9 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 81°F in the first days to 71°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Columbus's 1st-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Columbus's year-round climate.

Daytime high
76°
6th warmest
Overnight low
54°
7th coldest
Rainfall
3.5 in
6.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
6:04 AM – 5:13 PM
Cloud cover
43%
1st clearest
Wind
6 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
4 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.5
out of 10

Columbus is county seat of Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States.

Density
346/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 81°F in the first days to 71°F by the end.

A typical October day in Columbus reaches about 76°F in the afternoon and slips back to 54°F overnight — a 22°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 66°F and 85°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 10°F cooler than September and about 11°F warmer than November.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18160
28159
38159
48058
58058
68058
77957
87957
97856
107856
117856
127755
137755
147654
157654
167653
177553
187553
197552
207452
217452
227451
237351
247351
257350
267250
277250
287149
297149
307149
317048

How October really feels in Columbus

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.

Columbus weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan54° / 36°5.09.4103.4
Feb59° / 39°5.310.110.84.4
Mar67° / 46°5.310.911.76.1
Apr74° / 53°4.89.412.87.0
May82° / 62°4.310.113.76.0
Jun89° / 70°3.611.914.24.1
Jul91° / 73°4.013.7143.4
Aug91° / 72°3.510.913.23.6
Sep86° / 66°3.37.512.25.4
Oct76° / 54°3.56.911.27.5
Nov64° / 43°3.77.910.36.2
Dec56° / 38°5.110.49.83.8

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in October, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16832
26832
36832
46733
56634
66634
76535
86535
96436
106436
116436
126337
136238
146337
156337
166238
176337
186337
196238
206238
216337
226337
236238
246238
256238
266139
276040
286040
296040
305941
315842

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Columbus gets around 3.5 in of rain over 6.9 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 23% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
120
220
319
419
519
620
720
820
921
1021
1122
1222
1322
1423
1523
1623
1723
1823
1924
2024
2124
2224
2324
2425
2525
2625
2726
2826
2926
3026
3126

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 53% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 15% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1341820217
2351920206
3371920195
4381919195
5391919184
6401919174
7421919164
8431919163
9441919153
10451918153
11471818143
12491817142
13511717132
14521716132
15541715131
16541715131
17571614121
18581613121
19581613121
20601612120
21611612110
22621611110
23621611110
24621611110
25631610110
26631610110
27641610100
28641610100
29651510100
306715990
316715990

Wind in October

Winds average 6 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:53 AM to 6:17 AM, and sunset from 5:33 PM to 4:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.75:535:33
211.65:535:31
311.65:545:30
411.65:555:29
511.55:565:27
611.55:565:26
711.55:575:25
811.45:585:23
911.45:595:22
1011.45:595:21
1111.36:005:19
1211.36:015:18
1311.36:025:17
1411.26:035:16
1511.26:035:15
1611.26:045:13
1711.16:055:12
1811.16:065:11
1911.16:075:10
2011.06:085:09
2111.06:085:08
2211.06:095:06
2310.96:105:05
2410.96:115:04
2510.96:125:03
2610.86:135:02
2710.86:145:01
2810.86:145:00
2910.76:154:59
3010.76:164:58
3110.76:174:57

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.32 kWh/m² to a high of 6.2 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 4 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.4Bright
54.4Bright
64.3Bright
74.3Bright
84.3Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.0Bright
164.0Bright
174.0Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.6Moderate
273.6Moderate
283.5Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.5Moderate
313.4Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Columbus?

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

7.5
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.3
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

October is one of the better times to visit Columbus for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Columbus in October

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

In October, Columbus sees daytime highs around 76°F and nights near 54°F. Worth packing: light clothes. About 7 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Columbus in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Columbus peaks around July 13 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Columbus 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 Columbus is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.3× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1720 µg/m³Jan 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar11Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Columbus?

Columbus sits at 33.5°N, 88.4°W, 217 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Starkville, 23 mi away.

Topography around Columbus

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Columbus has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 157 ft around an average of 180 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 279 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 784 ft.

The land around Columbus is covered by trees (58%) within 2 miles, trees (69%) within 10 miles, and trees (81%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
157 ft
10 miles
279 ft
50 miles
784 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Starkville 23 mi · Northport 52 mi · Tuscaloosa 53 mi · Tupelo 55 mi · Meridian 80 mi · Hueytown 83 mi · Bessemer 85 mi · Oxford 87 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 Columbus (33.4957°, -88.4273°, elevation 217 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).