Cortland in Fall
In fall (September, October and November), Cortland sees average daytime highs around 57°F and overnight lows near 41°F, with 11.8 in of precipitation over about 36 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the 3rd-wettest season.
Over the season highs ease from about 74°F in early September to 40°F by late November. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time across fall, and the air most often feels dry.
Fall is Cortland's 2nd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Cortland's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 57°F
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 41°F
- Precipitation
- 11.8 in
- 36 wet days
- Avg wind
- 7 mph
- Travel score
- 3.7
- 2nd-best season
- Months
- Sep · Oct · Nov
Temperature in Cortland in Fall
Over the season highs ease from about 74°F in early September to 40°F by late November.
A typical fall day in Cortland reaches about 57°F and drops to 41°F overnight. The warmest of the three months is September, the coolest November.
How fall really feels in Cortland
Once humidity and wind are folded in, fall brings about 0 days that feel above 90°F and 35 that feel at or below 32°F.
The story in fall is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Cortland weather by month
How the three fall months (September, October and November) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30° / 16° | 3.1 | 12.6 | 12.2 | 9.2 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 32° / 17° | 2.7 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 10.3 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 41° / 25° | 3.8 | 13 | 8.2 | 11.6 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 54° / 37° | 4.2 | 13.5 | 2.9 | 13.1 | 3.0 |
| May | 65° / 47° | 4.0 | 13.9 | 0.2 | 14.4 | 5.4 |
| Jun | 74° / 56° | 4.4 | 12.8 | 0 | 15.1 | 6.3 |
| Jul | 78° / 60° | 4.2 | 13 | 0 | 14.8 | 6.3 |
| Aug | 76° / 59° | 3.9 | 12.3 | 0 | 13.7 | 6.6 |
| Sep | 69° / 52° | 4.1 | 10.5 | 0 | 12.3 | 6.3 |
| Oct | 57° / 41° | 4.2 | 13 | 0.6 | 10.8 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 45° / 31° | 3.5 | 12.3 | 4.4 | 9.6 | 0.9 |
| Dec | 35° / 23° | 3.6 | 13 | 10 | 8.9 | 0.0 |
Cloud cover in Fall
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time across fall.
Chance of precipitation in Fall
Cortland gets around 11.8 in of rain and snow over 36 wet days across fall. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Fall
Most of fall feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Fall
Winds average 7 mph across fall.
Sunrise & sunset in Fall
Daylight runs from about 13 hours in early September to 9 h 06 min by late November. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Fall
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across fall, about 2.8 kWh/m².
Is fall a good time to visit Cortland?
Our two travel scores rate fall for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
fall is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Cortland.
What to pack for Cortland in Fall
From fall's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In fall, Cortland sees daytime highs around 57°F and nights near 41°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 36 days see rain.
UV index in Cortland in Fall
Clear-sky midday UV across fall averages 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 Cortland peaks around July 12 at about 8 (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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Level | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Low |
| Feb | 2 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4 | Moderate |
| Apr | 5 | High |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 6 | High |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Low |
Where is Cortland?
Cortland sits at 42.6°N, 76.2°W, 1,129 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ithaca, 19 mi away.
Topography around Cortland
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Cortland.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Cortland has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 614 ft around an average of 1,220 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,178 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,847 ft.
The land around Cortland is covered by trees (43%) and grassland (28%) within 2 miles, trees (63%) and grassland (20%) within 10 miles, and trees (66%) within 50 miles.
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
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 Cortland (42.6012°, -76.1805°, elevation 1,129 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.