Lakeland weather in October

In October, Lakeland sees average daytime highs of 84°F and overnight lows near 67°F, with 2.2 in of rain across 8 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 86°F in the first days to 81°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in October, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Lakeland's 7th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lakeland's year-round climate.

Daytime high
84°
6th warmest
Overnight low
67°
7th coldest
Rainfall
2.2 in
8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:33 AM – 5:52 PM
Cloud cover
52%
7th clearest
Wind
7 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
4.28 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Lakeland is city in Polk County, Florida, United States.

Density
543/km²
people per km²
Founded
1875

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 86°F in the first days to 81°F by the end.

A typical October day in Lakeland reaches about 84°F in the afternoon and slips back to 67°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 78°F and 89°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 4°F cooler than September and about 6°F warmer than November.

50°60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18772
28671
38671
48671
58671
68671
78670
88570
98570
108569
118569
128569
138568
148568
158468
168467
178467
188467
198466
208366
218366
228365
238365
248365
258265
268264
278264
288264
298163
308163
318163

How October really feels in Lakeland

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 5 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
5
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Lakeland weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan71° / 51°2.35.810.47.3
Feb74° / 53°1.96.1117.5
Mar78° / 57°2.36.211.87.5
Apr83° / 63°2.16.412.66.5
May88° / 69°2.7813.44.8
Jun89° / 74°6.119.513.73.2
Jul89° / 75°6.322.913.62.8
Aug90° / 75°6.323.1132.8
Sep88° / 74°5.117.812.23.6
Oct84° / 67°2.2811.36.0
Nov78° / 59°1.44.610.67.8
Dec73° / 54°1.85.110.37.7

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 41%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
25050
35050
45149
55248
65347
75446
85545
95644
105743
115842
125842
136040
146139
156238
166238
176337
186436
196337
206337
216337
226436
236436
246337
256337
266337
276337
286337
296238
306238
316238

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Lakeland gets around 2.2 in of rain over 8 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 26% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
143
241
340
438
537
635
733
832
931
1030
1128
1227
1326
1425
1524
1623
1722
1822
1921
2021
2121
2220
2320
2420
2519
2619
2719
2819
2918
3018
3118

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the oppressive band about 32% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 59% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
125724584
235824564
335825554
436925534
5461026504
6461126493
7571227473
8571327453
9681327433
10681428413
11791528393
12891628372
139101628352
149111728332
1510121828311
1611121828291
1712131928281
1813142027261
1914142027240
2015142127230
2116152127210
2217152127200
2317152226190
2418162226180
2519162226170
2619162325160
2720162325150
2821162325140
2922172425130
3022172425120
3123172424120

Wind in October

Winds average 7 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:25 AM to 6:43 AM, and sunset from 6:09 PM to 5:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:256:09
211.76:256:08
311.76:266:07
411.76:266:05
511.66:276:04
611.66:276:03
711.66:286:02
811.56:296:01
911.56:296:00
1011.56:305:59
1111.56:305:58
1211.46:315:56
1311.46:315:55
1411.46:325:54
1511.36:335:53
1611.36:335:52
1711.36:345:51
1811.36:355:50
1911.26:355:49
2011.26:365:48
2111.26:365:48
2211.26:375:47
2311.16:385:46
2411.16:385:45
2511.16:395:44
2611.16:405:43
2711.06:415:42
2811.06:415:42
2911.06:425:41
3011.06:435:40
3110.96:435:39

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.28 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.14 kWh/m² to a high of 6.4 kWh/m² in May across the year — October's 4.28 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.4Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.1Bright
294.0Bright
304.0Bright
314.0Bright
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Lakeland

In seasonPeak

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

Lakeland sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Lakeland's rainy season runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Lakeland?

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

6.0
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
7.2
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Lakeland for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Lakeland in October

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

In October, Lakeland sees daytime highs around 84°F and nights near 67°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

UV index in Lakeland in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Lakeland peaks around July 12 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 12UV 11Dec 19UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb7High
Mar9Very high
Apr9Very high
May10Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct7Very high
Nov5High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Lakeland 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 Lakeland is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodJul 1719 µg/m³Dec 219 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr11Good
May12Good
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Lakeland?

Lakeland sits at 28.0°N, 81.9°W, 197 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Auburndale, 9.9 mi away.

Topography around Lakeland

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Lakeland has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 135 ft around an average of 171 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 279 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 374 ft.

The land around Lakeland is covered by trees (42%) and artificial surfaces (33%) within 2 miles, trees (55%) and grassland (24%) within 10 miles, and trees (53%) and grassland (28%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
135 ft
10 miles
279 ft
50 miles
374 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Auburndale 9.9 mi · Plant City 9.9 mi · Bartow 12 mi · Eloise 13 mi · Winter Haven 13 mi · Valrico 19 mi · Bloomingdale 21 mi · Haines City 21 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 Lakeland (28.0395°, -81.9498°, elevation 197 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).