Ottawa weather in October

In October, Ottawa sees average daytime highs of 63°F and overnight lows near 44°F, with 3.1 in of precipitation across 9 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 69°F in the first days to 57°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% 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 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Ottawa's 4th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ottawa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
63°
6th warmest
Overnight low
44°
7th coldest
Precipitation
3.1 in
9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:14 AM – 5:07 PM
Cloud cover
57%
4th clearest
Wind
9 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.7
out of 10

Ottawa is city in Illinois, United States.

Density
553/km²
people per km²
Founded
1853

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 69°F in the first days to 57°F by the end.

A typical October day in Ottawa reaches about 63°F in the afternoon and slips back to 44°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 51°F and 77°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)
17050
27049
36949
46948
56948
66848
76847
86747
96747
106646
116646
126546
136545
146445
156444
166444
176344
186243
196243
206243
216142
226042
236042
246042
255941
265841
275840
285840
295740
305639
315639

How October really feels in Ottawa

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.

Ottawa 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
Jan32° / 18°2.28.25.49.40.0
Feb37° / 21°2.07.24.210.30.0
Mar49° / 31°2.89.92.411.71.9
Apr61° / 41°4.311.90.613.14.8
May71° / 52°4.713014.36.1
Jun80° / 62°4.411.7014.96.2
Jul83° / 66°3.811.3014.75.7
Aug82° / 64°3.59.7013.76.6
Sep76° / 56°3.18.4012.37.1
Oct63° / 44°3.190.110.95.7
Nov49° / 33°2.78.61.19.72.1
Dec37° / 23°2.28.13.79.10.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25347
35347
45347
55347
65248
75347
85347
95347
105248
115248
125347
135347
145248
155347
165248
175149
185050
194951
204951
214753
224654
234654
244555
254555
264357
274357
284258
294159
304159
314159

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Ottawa gets around 3.1 in of rain and snow over 9 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 28% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1260
2260
3260
4260
5260
6270
7270
8280
9280
10280
11280
12280
13280
14290
15290
16290
17300
18300
19300
20300
21300
22300
23301
24291
25291
26291
27291
28291
29291
30291
31292

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 87% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1751483
2771373
3771373
4781372
5791362
6801262
7801262
8811252
9831151
10841141
11851041
12851041
1387931
1487931
1589830
1690820
1791720
1891720
1991720
2092620
2192620
2292620
2393520
2493520
2594510
2694510
2794510
2894510
2995410
3095410
3195410

Wind in October

Winds average 9 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light 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 12 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 5:57 AM to 6:32 AM, and sunset from 5:31 PM to 4:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.65:575:31
211.55:595:30
311.56:005:28
411.46:015:26
511.46:025:24
611.36:035:23
711.36:045:21
811.26:055:19
911.26:065:18
1011.16:075:16
1111.16:095:14
1211.16:105:13
1311.06:115:11
1411.06:125:10
1510.96:135:08
1610.96:145:07
1710.86:155:05
1810.86:175:03
1910.76:185:02
2010.76:195:01
2110.66:204:59
2210.66:214:58
2310.66:234:56
2410.56:244:55
2510.56:254:53
2610.46:264:52
2710.46:274:51
2810.36:294:49
2910.36:304:48
3010.36:314:47
3110.26:324:46

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.16 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.72 kWh/m² to a high of 6.31 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.16 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.9Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.6Moderate
73.6Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.5Moderate
103.5Moderate
113.4Moderate
123.4Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.2Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Ottawa?

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

5.7
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.9
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Ottawa for sightseeing.

What to pack for Ottawa in October

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

In October, Ottawa sees daytime highs around 63°F and nights near 44°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Ottawa in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ottawa peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 20UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Ottawa 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 Ottawa is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJul 1917 µg/m³Oct 229 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Ottawa?

Ottawa sits at 41.3°N, 88.8°W, 482 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Yorkville, 29 mi away.

Topography around Ottawa

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Ottawa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 295 ft around an average of 531 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 417 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 692 ft.

The land around Ottawa is covered by trees (36%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 2 miles, cropland (69%) within 10 miles, and cropland (78%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
295 ft
10 miles
417 ft
50 miles
692 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Yorkville 29 mi · Oswego 34 mi · Shorewood 35 mi · Montgomery 37 mi · Plainfield 39 mi · Aurora 39 mi · DeKalb 40 mi · Crest Hill 41 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 Ottawa (41.3456°, -88.8426°, elevation 482 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).