Cortland weather in October

In October, Cortland sees average daytime highs of 57°F and overnight lows near 41°F, with 4.2 in of precipitation across 13 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 63°F in the first days to 52°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% 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 Cortland's 5th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cortland's year-round climate.

Daytime high
57°
6th warmest
Overnight low
41°
7th coldest
Precipitation
4.2 in
13 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:25 AM – 5:14 PM
Cloud cover
65%
5th clearest
Wind
7 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
2.7 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Cortland is city in New York, USA.

Density
1,865/km²
people per km²
Founded
1791

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 63°F in the first days to 52°F by the end.

A typical October day in Cortland reaches about 57°F in the afternoon and slips back to 41°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 46°F and 69°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 12°F cooler than September and about 12°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16446
26346
36346
46245
56245
66245
76144
86144
96044
106043
115943
125943
135842
145842
155842
165741
175741
185641
195640
205540
215540
225439
235439
245439
255338
265338
275238
285237
295237
305137
315136

How October really feels in Cortland

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 5 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
5
wind chill below the day's low

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

Cortland weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 16°3.112.612.29.20.0
Feb32° / 17°2.710.99.510.30.0
Mar41° / 25°3.8138.211.60.3
Apr54° / 37°4.213.52.913.13.0
May65° / 47°4.013.90.214.45.4
Jun74° / 56°4.412.8015.16.3
Jul78° / 60°4.213014.86.3
Aug76° / 59°3.912.3013.76.6
Sep69° / 52°4.110.5012.36.3
Oct57° / 41°4.2130.610.83.8
Nov45° / 31°3.512.34.49.60.9
Dec35° / 23°3.613108.90.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24753
34753
44753
54654
64555
74555
84555
94456
104357
114357
124258
134060
144060
154060
163862
173862
183763
193763
203763
213565
223565
233565
243565
253565
263466
273466
283466
293466
303565
313466

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Cortland gets around 4.2 in of rain and snow over 13 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 42% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1390
2390
3390
4390
5390
6390
7391
8391
9401
10401
11401
12411
13421
14421
15432
16442
17442
18452
19462
20462
21463
22463
23463
24463
25454
26454
27444
28435
29425
30425
31416

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 (%)
1791281
2801181
3821071
4831070
585960
685960
787850
887850
989740
1089740
1190640
1291630
1392530
1492530
1593520
1694420
1794420
1895410
1995410
2096310
2196310
2297300
2397300
2497300
2597300
2697300
2798200
2898200
2998200
3098200
3198200

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
177light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light 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 6:07 AM to 6:44 AM, and sunset from 5:40 PM to 4:53 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:075:40
211.56:095:38
311.46:105:36
411.46:115:35
511.36:125:33
611.36:135:31
711.36:145:29
811.26:165:28
911.26:175:26
1011.16:185:24
1111.16:195:23
1211.06:205:21
1311.06:225:19
1410.96:235:18
1510.96:245:16
1610.86:255:14
1710.86:265:13
1810.76:285:11
1910.76:295:10
2010.66:305:08
2110.66:315:07
2210.56:335:05
2310.56:345:04
2410.56:355:02
2510.46:365:01
2610.46:384:59
2710.36:394:58
2810.36:404:57
2910.26:414:55
3010.26:434:54
3110.16:444:53

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 2.7 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.31 kWh/m² to a high of 5.98 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 2.7 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.3Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.2Moderate
53.2Moderate
63.1Moderate
73.1Moderate
83.0Moderate
93.0Moderate
103.0Moderate
112.9Moderate
122.9Moderate
132.8Moderate
142.8Moderate
152.7Moderate
162.7Moderate
172.6Moderate
182.6Moderate
192.6Moderate
202.5Moderate
212.5Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.3Moderate
282.2Moderate
292.2Moderate
302.2Moderate
312.1Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Cortland?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Cortland.

What to pack for Cortland in October

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

In October, Cortland sees daytime highs around 57°F and nights near 41°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Cortland 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 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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 12UV 8Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

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.

2 miles
614 ft
10 miles
1,178 ft
50 miles
1,847 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Ithaca 19 mi · Auburn 30 mi · Syracuse 31 mi · Vestal 36 mi · Binghamton 37 mi · Cicero 40 mi · Clay 40 mi · Elmira 48 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 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. 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).