Columbus weather in October

In October, Columbus sees average daytime highs of 63°F and overnight lows near 42°F, with 2.3 in of precipitation across 6.9 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 70°F in the first days to 57°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% 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 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Columbus's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Columbus's year-round climate.

Daytime high
63°
6th warmest
Overnight low
42°
7th coldest
Precipitation
2.3 in
6.9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:48 AM – 5:41 PM
Cloud cover
46%
4th clearest
Wind
10 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
3.4 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Columbus is city in and county seat of Platte County, Nebraska, United States.

Density
831/km²
people per km²
Founded
1856

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 70°F in the first days to 57°F by the end.

A typical October day in Columbus reaches about 63°F in the afternoon and slips back to 42°F overnight — a 22°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 48°F and 77°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)
17148
27047
37047
46947
56946
66846
76845
86745
96744
106644
116644
126543
136543
146442
156442
166442
176341
186341
196240
206240
216140
226039
236039
245938
255938
265837
275837
285736
295736
305635
315635

How October really feels in Columbus

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.

Columbus 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
Jan33° / 15°0.94.43.79.30.0
Feb37° / 18°1.05410.30.0
Mar49° / 29°2.07.42.811.72.2
Apr61° / 40°3.510.21.613.15.0
May71° / 51°5.112.4014.36.3
Jun82° / 62°4.410.8014.96.1
Jul86° / 66°2.78.4014.75.4
Aug83° / 64°3.18.8013.76.1
Sep77° / 55°2.67.1012.37.5
Oct63° / 42°2.36.90.610.96.1
Nov49° / 29°1.54.91.89.72.2
Dec36° / 19°1.24.63.79.10.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 38%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26634
36634
46535
56436
66436
76337
86436
96337
106337
116337
126337
136337
146337
156337
166238
176238
186139
196139
206040
216040
226040
235941
245941
255842
265842
275842
285842
295842
305842
315842

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Columbus gets around 2.3 in of rain and snow 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 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 (%)
1240
2240
3250
4250
5251
6261
7261
8261
9251
10251
11241
12241
13231
14231
15222
16222
17212
18212
19202
20203
21203
22193
23193
24193
25193
26193
27183
28184
29184
30174
31174

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 93% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1831142
2841132
3851131
4861121
5871021
6871021
7871021
889911
989911
1091810
1191810
1292710
1392710
1493610
1593610
1694510
1794510
1894510
1995410
2095410
2195410
2296310
2397300
2497300
2597300
2697300
2798200
2898200
2998200
3098200
3198200

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 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 12 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 6:32 AM to 7:06 AM, and sunset from 6:05 PM to 5:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:326:05
211.56:336:04
311.56:346:02
411.46:356:00
511.46:365:58
611.36:375:57
711.36:385:55
811.26:395:53
911.26:405:52
1011.16:425:50
1111.16:435:48
1211.06:445:47
1311.06:455:45
1411.06:465:44
1510.96:475:42
1610.96:485:41
1710.86:505:39
1810.86:515:37
1910.76:525:36
2010.76:535:34
2110.66:545:33
2210.66:565:32
2310.66:575:30
2410.56:585:29
2510.56:595:27
2610.47:005:26
2710.47:025:25
2810.37:035:23
2910.37:045:22
3010.37:055:21
3110.27:065:20

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.4 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.97 kWh/m² to a high of 6.72 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 3.4 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.1Bright
34.0Bright
44.0Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.9Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.6Moderate
123.6Moderate
133.6Moderate
143.5Moderate
153.5Moderate
163.4Moderate
173.4Moderate
183.3Moderate
193.3Moderate
203.3Moderate
213.2Moderate
223.2Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.1Moderate
263.0Moderate
273.0Moderate
283.0Moderate
292.9Moderate
302.9Moderate
312.9Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Columbus

In seasonPeak

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

Columbus'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 Columbus?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
2.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Columbus for sightseeing.

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 63°F and nights near 42°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layer

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 June 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 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 22UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May6High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Columbus?

Columbus sits at 41.4°N, 97.4°W, 1,447 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Norfolk, 42 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 82 ft around an average of 1,450 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 312 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,024 ft.

The land around Columbus is covered by artificial surfaces (32%), grassland (25%) and trees (21%) within 2 miles, cropland (67%) within 10 miles, and cropland (80%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
82 ft
10 miles
312 ft
50 miles
1,024 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Norfolk 42 mi · Fremont 45 mi · Lincoln 57 mi · Grand Island 62 mi · Papillion 71 mi · La Vista 71 mi · Omaha 75 mi · Hastings 79 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 (41.4297°, -97.3684°, elevation 1,447 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).