Gurnee weather in October

In October, Gurnee sees average daytime highs of 60°F and overnight lows near 46°F, with 3.3 in of precipitation across 9.5 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 65°F in the first days to 54°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% 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 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Gurnee's 5th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gurnee's year-round climate.

Daytime high
60°
6th warmest
Overnight low
46°
7th coldest
Precipitation
3.3 in
9.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:12 AM – 5:02 PM
Cloud cover
59%
5th clearest
Wind
10 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
3.02 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.8
out of 10

Gurnee is village in Lake County, Illinois, United States.

Density
888/km²
people per km²
Founded
1928

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 65°F in the first days to 54°F by the end.

A typical October day in Gurnee reaches about 60°F in the afternoon and slips back to 46°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 49°F and 72°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 12°F cooler than September and about 14°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16652
26652
36551
46551
56551
66450
76450
86449
96349
106349
116248
126248
136147
146147
156047
166046
175946
185946
195845
205845
215745
225744
235644
245644
255643
265543
275542
285442
295442
305341
315341

How October really feels in Gurnee

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.

Gurnee weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 19°2.39.16.49.30.0
Feb33° / 20°2.07.25.310.30.0
Mar42° / 29°2.69.73.211.60.6
Apr53° / 40°4.412.21.213.12.9
May64° / 51°4.112.3014.45.3
Jun76° / 62°3.611.40156.5
Jul80° / 67°3.310.8014.86.4
Aug79° / 66°3.610.7013.76.7
Sep72° / 58°2.99012.36.9
Oct60° / 46°3.39.50.110.84.8
Nov46° / 35°2.68.51.49.61.4
Dec35° / 25°2.48.84.590.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25248
35248
45248
55248
65248
75248
85248
95149
105050
115050
125050
135050
144951
154852
164753
174654
184654
194555
204456
214357
224357
234258
244159
254159
263961
273961
283961
293961
303961
313961

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Gurnee gets around 3.3 in of rain and snow over 9.5 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 30% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1300
2290
3290
4290
5290
6280
7280
8280
9280
10280
11280
12290
13290
14290
15300
16300
17310
18310
19320
20320
21320
22320
23321
24321
25321
26321
27321
28311
29311
30311
31302

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 88% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1741673
2761563
3761563
4781453
5791353
6811342
7821242
8821242
9831142
10851032
11851032
1287931
1387931
1489821
1589821
1691720
1791720
1892620
1992620
2092620
2193520
2293520
2393520
2494510
2594510
2695410
2795410
2895410
2995410
3095410
3195410

Wind in October

Winds average 10 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 10 mph on the calmest days to 11 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
2611light breeze
2711light breeze
2811light breeze
2911light breeze
3011light breeze
3111light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 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 78 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:54 AM to 6:30 AM, and sunset from 5:27 PM to 4:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.55:545:27
211.55:555:25
311.45:565:23
411.45:585:22
511.45:595:20
611.36:005:18
711.36:015:16
811.26:025:15
911.26:035:13
1011.16:055:11
1111.16:065:10
1211.06:075:08
1311.06:085:06
1410.96:095:05
1510.96:115:03
1610.86:125:02
1710.86:135:00
1810.76:144:58
1910.76:154:57
2010.66:174:55
2110.66:184:54
2210.66:194:52
2310.56:204:51
2410.56:224:49
2510.46:234:48
2610.46:244:47
2710.36:254:45
2810.36:274:44
2910.26:284:43
3010.26:294:41
3110.26:304:40

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.02 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.56 kWh/m² to a high of 6.4 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.02 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.7Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.6Moderate
53.5Moderate
63.5Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.4Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.2Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.1Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.0Moderate
173.0Moderate
183.0Moderate
192.9Moderate
202.9Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.6Moderate
262.6Moderate
272.5Moderate
282.5Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Gurnee?

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

4.8
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.9
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Gurnee for sightseeing.

What to pack for Gurnee in October

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

In October, Gurnee sees daytime highs around 60°F and nights near 46°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Gurnee in October

The nearest coast averages about 57°F in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 71°F and coldest in March near 36°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 18 to Sep 8 — about 1.7 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan38Bracing
Feb36Bracing
Mar36Bracing
Apr38Bracing
May43Bracing
Jun55Bracing
Jul68Refreshing
Aug71Refreshing
Sep67Cool
Oct57Bracing
Nov47Bracing
Dec42Bracing

UV index in Gurnee 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 Gurnee peaks around June 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 22UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Gurnee 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 Gurnee is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 10 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJul 921 µg/m³Oct 2410 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar18Moderate
Apr19Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov10Good
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Gurnee?

Gurnee sits at 42.4°N, 87.9°W, 679 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Waukegan, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Gurnee

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Gurnee has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 128 ft around an average of 705 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 331 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 787 ft.

The land around Gurnee is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and trees (40%) within 2 miles, trees (30%), water (25%) and grassland (21%) within 10 miles, and water (41%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
128 ft
10 miles
331 ft
50 miles
787 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
October weather nearby: Waukegan 3.1 mi · North Chicago 4.3 mi · Zion 6.2 mi · Libertyville 6.8 mi · Grayslake 7.5 mi · Lake Forest 8.1 mi · Mundelein 9.3 mi · Round Lake Beach 9.3 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 Gurnee (42.3703°, -87.902°, elevation 679 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).