Minot weather in October

In October, Minot sees average daytime highs of 53°F and overnight lows near 34°F, with 1.6 in of precipitation across 6.4 wet days and about 10.6 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 60°F in the first days to 45°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of October to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Minot's 4th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Minot's year-round climate.

Daytime high
53°
6th warmest
Overnight low
34°
7th coldest
Precipitation
1.6 in
6.4 wet days
Daylight
10 h 36 min
7:13 AM – 5:47 PM
Cloud cover
58%
4th clearest
Wind
10 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.66 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Minot is seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States.

Density
709/km²
people per km²
Founded
1886

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 60°F in the first days to 45°F by the end.

A typical October day in Minot reaches about 53°F in the afternoon and slips back to 34°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 37°F and 69°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 16°F cooler than September and about 17°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16240
26140
36039
46039
55938
65938
75837
85737
95737
105636
115636
125535
135535
145435
155434
165334
175333
185233
195233
205132
215132
225031
234931
244931
254830
264730
274729
284629
294628
304528
314427

How October really feels in Minot

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 28 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
28
wind chill below the day's low

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

Minot weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan18° / 0.755.48.60.0
Feb22° / 0.74.259.90.0
Mar35° / 18°1.05.34.311.60.0
Apr51° / 31°1.77.73.113.42.6
May64° / 43°3.010.40.814.95.6
Jun73° / 53°4.111.4015.86.5
Jul78° / 58°3.09.3015.57.1
Aug78° / 55°2.17.7014.17.4
Sep69° / 46°2.06.6012.47.0
Oct53° / 34°1.66.41.610.63.4
Nov36° / 20°1.05.14.490.1
Dec23° / 0.85.66.38.20.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% 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 52%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35545
45545
55347
65248
75248
85149
95050
104951
114951
124951
134852
144852
154852
164852
174753
184753
194753
204654
214654
224654
234555
244555
254456
264456
274456
284357
294258
304258
314258

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Minot gets around 1.6 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 21% and peaks near 22% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1192
2192
3193
4203
5203
6204
7204
8214
9214
10214
11214
12214
13215
14215
15205
16205
17205
18205
19205
20205
21205
22206
23206
24217
25217
26218
27218
28229
292210
302211
312212

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

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 24 min at the start of October to 9 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 102 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:51 AM to 7:37 AM, and sunset from 6:17 PM to 5:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.46:516:17
211.46:526:15
311.36:546:13
411.36:556:11
511.26:576:09
611.16:586:07
711.17:006:05
811.07:016:03
911.07:036:01
1010.97:045:59
1110.97:065:57
1210.87:075:55
1310.77:095:53
1410.77:105:51
1510.67:125:49
1610.67:135:47
1710.57:155:45
1810.47:175:43
1910.47:185:41
2010.37:205:39
2110.37:215:38
2210.27:235:36
2310.27:245:34
2410.17:265:32
2510.17:275:31
2610.07:295:29
279.97:315:27
289.97:325:25
299.87:345:24
309.87:355:22
319.77:375:21

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 2.66 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.27 kWh/m² to a high of 6.57 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 2.66 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.3Moderate
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
192.5Moderate
202.5Moderate
212.5Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.2Moderate
282.2Moderate
292.1Moderate
302.1Moderate
312.1Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Minot

In seasonPeak

None of Minot's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Minot's rainy season runs May–September, 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 Minot?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.2
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Minot.

What to pack for Minot in October

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

In October, Minot sees daytime highs around 53°F and nights near 34°F. Pack a warm layer. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Minot 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 Minot peaks around June 21 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 18 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 21UV 8Dec 18UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr4Moderate
May5High
Jun8Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug6High
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Minot 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 Minot is worst in August — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (October, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodGoodModerateGoodAug 1216 µg/m³Oct 216 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr11Good
May11Good
Jun10Good
Jul15Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct6Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Minot?

Minot sits at 48.2°N, 101.3°W, 1,621 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mandan, 99 mi away.

Topography around Minot

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Minot has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 236 ft around an average of 1,644 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 505 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,007 ft.

The land around Minot is covered by artificial surfaces (46%), grassland (28%) and trees (20%) within 2 miles, cropland (64%) and grassland (25%) within 10 miles, and cropland (61%) and grassland (35%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
236 ft
10 miles
505 ft
50 miles
1,007 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Mandan 99 mi · Bismarck 101 mi · Williston 107 mi · Dickinson 117 mi · Brandon 127 mi · Jamestown 151 mi · Grand Forks 198 mi · Arcola East 211 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 Minot (48.2325°, -101.2963°, elevation 1,621 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. 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).