Rochester weather in October

In October, Rochester sees average daytime highs of 57°F and overnight lows near 39°F, with 2.7 in of precipitation across 9 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 63°F in the first days to 50°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 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Rochester's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rochester's year-round climate.

Daytime high
57°
6th warmest
Overnight low
39°
7th coldest
Precipitation
2.7 in
9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:32 AM – 5:18 PM
Cloud cover
59%
4th clearest
Wind
9 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.86 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.1
out of 10

Rochester is seat of Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States of America.

Density
792/km²
people per km²
Founded
1854

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 63°F in the first days to 50°F by the end.

A typical October day in Rochester reaches about 57°F in the afternoon and slips back to 39°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 43°F and 71°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 14°F cooler than September and about 15°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16445
26445
36344
46344
56244
66243
76143
86142
96042
106042
115941
125941
135840
145840
155740
165739
175639
185638
195538
205538
215437
225437
235337
245336
255236
265236
275135
285135
295034
305034
314933

How October really feels in Rochester

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 13 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
13
wind chill below the day's low

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

Rochester 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
Jan23° / 1.16.76.69.10.0
Feb28° / 13°1.25.75.310.20.0
Mar41° / 24°2.38.84.411.60.5
Apr55° / 37°3.611.42.313.23.3
May67° / 49°4.5130.114.55.7
Jun76° / 59°5.212.3015.26.4
Jul80° / 63°3.810.40156.6
Aug78° / 60°3.810013.86.9
Sep71° / 52°3.39.3012.36.7
Oct57° / 39°2.790.710.84.1
Nov41° / 27°1.96.93.59.40.6
Dec28° / 15°1.57.16.28.80.0

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 53%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25545
35545
45545
55545
65446
75347
85347
95248
105248
115248
125050
135050
145050
154951
164852
174654
184654
194555
204357
214258
224159
234060
243961
253961
263862
273961
283961
293862
303862
313862

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Rochester gets around 2.7 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 31% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1310
2301
3301
4301
5301
6301
7301
8301
9301
10301
11292
12292
13292
14282
15282
16282
17282
18282
19283
20283
21283
22283
23273
24274
25274
26274
27265
28265
29265
30256
31256

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
185942
287832
389731
489731
591621
692521
792521
893421
993421
1093421
1194321
1294321
1395311
1495311
1596310
1696310
1796310
1896310
1996310
2096310
2197210
2298200
2398200
2498200
2598200
2698200
2798200
2898200
2998200
3099100
3199100

Wind in October

Winds average 9 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light 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
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of October to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 90 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:13 AM to 6:52 AM, and sunset from 5:44 PM to 4:55 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:135:44
211.56:145:43
311.46:165:41
411.46:175:39
511.36:185:37
611.36:195:35
711.26:215:33
811.26:225:32
911.16:235:30
1011.16:245:28
1111.06:265:26
1211.06:275:25
1310.96:285:23
1410.96:305:21
1510.86:315:19
1610.86:325:18
1710.76:335:16
1810.76:355:14
1910.66:365:13
2010.66:375:11
2110.56:395:10
2210.56:405:08
2310.46:415:06
2410.46:435:05
2510.36:445:03
2610.36:455:02
2710.26:475:00
2810.26:484:59
2910.16:494:58
3010.16:514:56
3110.06:524:55

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 2.86 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.51 kWh/m² to a high of 6.31 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 2.86 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.6Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.4Moderate
53.4Moderate
63.4Moderate
73.3Moderate
83.3Moderate
93.2Moderate
103.2Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.0Moderate
143.0Moderate
152.9Moderate
162.9Moderate
172.8Moderate
182.8Moderate
192.7Moderate
202.7Moderate
212.6Moderate
222.6Moderate
232.6Moderate
242.5Moderate
252.5Moderate
262.5Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.3Moderate
312.3Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Rochester?

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

4.1
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Rochester for sightseeing.

What to pack for Rochester in October

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

In October, Rochester sees daytime highs around 57°F and nights near 39°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Rochester 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 Rochester peaks around June 14 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 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 14UV 9Jan 12UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Rochester?

Rochester sits at 44.0°N, 92.5°W, 1,024 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Austin, 35 mi away.

Topography around Rochester

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Rochester has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 305 ft around an average of 1,047 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 436 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 797 ft.

The land around Rochester is covered by trees (43%) and artificial surfaces (38%) within 2 miles, cropland (46%) and trees (28%) within 10 miles, and cropland (66%) and trees (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
305 ft
10 miles
436 ft
50 miles
797 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
October weather nearby: Austin 35 mi · Red Wing 37 mi · Owatonna 38 mi · Winona 41 mi · Faribault 44 mi · Northfield 45 mi · Albert Lea 52 mi · Hastings 53 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 Rochester (44.0216°, -92.4699°, elevation 1,024 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).