Hays weather in October

In October, Hays sees average daytime highs of 68°F and overnight lows near 44°F, with 2.1 in of precipitation across 6.4 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 74°F in the first days to 62°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% 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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Hays's 2nd-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hays's year-round climate.

Daytime high
68°
6th warmest
Overnight low
44°
7th coldest
Precipitation
2.1 in
6.4 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:53 AM – 5:51 PM
Cloud cover
39%
2nd clearest
Wind
10 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
3.79 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.2
out of 10

Hays is city in Kansas, United States.

Density
1,001/km²
people per km²
Founded
1867

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 74°F in the first days to 62°F by the end.

A typical October day in Hays reaches about 68°F in the afternoon and slips back to 44°F overnight — a 24°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 82°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 13°F cooler than September and about 14°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17551
27450
37450
47449
57349
67349
77248
87248
97147
107147
117146
127046
137046
146945
156945
166944
176844
186844
196743
206743
216642
226642
236541
246541
256440
266340
276340
286239
296239
306138
316138

How October really feels in Hays

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 2 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
2
wind chill below the day's low

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

Hays weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan42° / 21°0.73.32.69.60.3
Feb46° / 24°1.04.12.910.51.3
Mar56° / 32°1.76.32.111.74.1
Apr65° / 42°2.68.30.9136.3
May75° / 53°4.210.90.114.16.7
Jun86° / 64°3.39.5014.75.2
Jul91° / 69°3.19.3014.43.9
Aug88° / 66°3.18.9013.54.8
Sep81° / 57°2.06012.37.1
Oct68° / 44°2.16.40.4117.2
Nov55° / 32°1.24.21.19.94.1
Dec43° / 23°1.13.92.79.30.7

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27327
37327
47228
57228
67129
77129
87129
97129
107129
117129
127030
137030
147030
157129
167030
177030
186931
196931
206931
216832
226832
236733
246733
256733
266733
276634
286634
296733
306733
316832

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Hays gets around 2.1 in of rain and snow over 6.4 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 19% and peaks near 24% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1230
2230
3230
4240
5240
6240
7241
8241
9241
10231
11231
12221
13211
14201
15191
16181
17181
18171
19171
20162
21162
22162
23162
24162
25162
26162
27162
28163
29163
30163
31163

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 (%)
1811261
2831151
3831151
4851041
5851041
686941
787931
888831
989830
1090730
1190730
1292620
1392620
1493520
1593520
1695410
1795410
1895410
1995410
2095410
2196310
2296310
2396310
2496310
2596310
2696310
2796310
2896310
2997210
3097210
3197210

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 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 72 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:38 AM to 7:10 AM, and sunset from 6:14 PM to 5:32 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:386:14
211.66:396:13
311.56:406:11
411.56:416:09
511.46:426:08
611.46:436:06
711.36:446:05
811.36:456:03
911.36:466:02
1011.26:476:00
1111.26:485:59
1211.16:495:57
1311.16:505:56
1411.06:515:54
1511.06:525:53
1611.06:535:51
1710.96:545:50
1810.96:555:48
1910.86:575:47
2010.86:585:46
2110.86:595:44
2210.77:005:43
2310.77:015:42
2410.67:025:41
2510.67:035:39
2610.67:045:38
2710.57:055:37
2810.57:065:36
2910.57:075:34
3010.47:085:33
3110.47:105:32

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.79 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.36 kWh/m² to a high of 6.92 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.79 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.4Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.2Bright
74.2Bright
84.1Bright
94.1Bright
104.0Bright
114.0Bright
124.0Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.8Moderate
193.7Moderate
203.7Moderate
213.6Moderate
223.6Moderate
233.6Moderate
243.5Moderate
253.5Moderate
263.4Moderate
273.4Moderate
283.4Moderate
293.3Moderate
303.3Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Hays

In seasonPeak

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

Hays'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 Hays?

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

7.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
3.8
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is one of the better times to visit Hays for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Hays in October

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

In October, Hays sees daytime highs around 68°F and nights near 44°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Hays 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 Hays peaks around July 15 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 15UV 10Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7Very high
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7High
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Hays?

Hays sits at 38.9°N, 99.3°W, 2,021 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Great Bend, 47 mi away.

Topography around Hays

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Hays has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 118 ft around an average of 2,021 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 400 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,237 ft.

The land around Hays is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and grassland (31%) within 2 miles, cropland (49%) and grassland (47%) within 10 miles, and grassland (50%) and cropland (48%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
118 ft
10 miles
400 ft
50 miles
1,237 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
October weather nearby: Great Bend 47 mi · Dodge City 86 mi · Salina 93 mi · Hutchinson 94 mi · Garden City 104 mi · Newton 122 mi · Kearney 126 mi · Hastings 128 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 Hays (38.8792°, -99.3268°, elevation 2,021 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).