Waterford weather in October

In October, Waterford sees average daytime highs of 61°F and overnight lows near 53°F, with 4.7 in of precipitation across 9.7 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 65°F in the first days to 57°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% 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 Waterford's 1st-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Waterford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
61°
5th warmest
Overnight low
53°
8th coldest
Precipitation
4.7 in
9.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:07 AM – 5:00 PM
Cloud cover
52%
1st clearest
Wind
13 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.19 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

Waterford is town in New London County, Connecticut, United States.

Founded
1801

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 65°F in the first days to 57°F by the end.

A typical October day in Waterford reaches about 61°F in the afternoon and slips back to 53°F overnight — a 8°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 54°F and 68°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 9°F cooler than September and about 9°F warmer than November.

30°40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16658
26558
36557
46557
56557
66456
76456
86456
96355
106355
116355
126254
136254
146254
156253
166153
176153
186052
196052
206052
216051
225951
235951
245950
255850
265850
275849
285749
295749
305748
315648

How October really feels in Waterford

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.

Waterford weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 29°3.910.34.79.40.0
Feb38° / 29°3.59.13.910.30.0
Mar43° / 34°4.710.53.511.70.4
Apr51° / 43°4.210.80.513.12.4
May59° / 51°3.510.6014.34.4
Jun68° / 61°3.79.7014.96.3
Jul75° / 68°3.18.9014.77.2
Aug75° / 68°3.89.2013.77.2
Sep70° / 62°4.28.6012.36.8
Oct61° / 53°4.79.70.110.95.2
Nov52° / 43°4.19.40.59.72.8
Dec44° / 35°4.911.42.89.10.6

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in October, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 46%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35644
45743
55644
65644
75644
85644
95644
105545
115545
125545
135545
145545
155545
165545
175545
185545
195446
205446
215446
225347
235347
245347
255347
265248
275248
285248
295248
305248
315149

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Waterford gets around 4.7 in of rain and snow over 9.7 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 32% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
234
334
434
534
634
733
833
933
1032
1132
1232
1332
1431
1531
1631
1730
1830
1930
2030
2130
2230
2330
2430
2530
2630
2730
2831
2931
3031
3131

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 74% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
152211710
25421169
35521168
45721157
55921146
66021136
76320125
86520114
96520114
106819103
11691993
12691993
13721882
14721882
15751771
16761671
17771571
18791461
19811360
20811360
21821260
22831160
23841150
24851050
25851050
26851050
2787940
2887940
2987940
3088930
3188930

Wind in October

Winds average 13 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 12 mph on the calmest days to 14 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
112light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812breezy
912breezy
1013breezy
1113breezy
1213breezy
1313breezy
1413breezy
1513breezy
1613breezy
1713breezy
1813breezy
1913breezy
2013breezy
2113breezy
2213breezy
2313breezy
2414breezy
2514breezy
2614breezy
2714breezy
2814breezy
2914breezy
3014breezy
3114breezy

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 5:51 AM to 6:25 AM, and sunset from 5:24 PM to 4:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.65:515:24
211.55:525:23
311.55:535:21
411.45:545:19
511.45:555:18
611.35:565:16
711.35:575:14
811.25:585:13
911.25:595:11
1011.16:015:09
1111.16:025:08
1211.16:035:06
1311.06:045:04
1411.06:055:03
1510.96:065:01
1610.96:075:00
1710.86:094:58
1810.86:104:57
1910.76:114:55
2010.76:124:54
2110.66:134:52
2210.66:144:51
2310.66:164:49
2410.56:174:48
2510.56:184:47
2610.46:194:45
2710.46:204:44
2810.36:224:43
2910.36:234:41
3010.36:244:40
3110.26:254:39

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.19 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.7 kWh/m² to a high of 6.33 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.19 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.7Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.7Moderate
43.6Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.5Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.4Moderate
113.4Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.2Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.2Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
223.0Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.9Moderate
252.9Moderate
262.8Moderate
272.8Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.7Moderate
302.7Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Waterford

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Is October a good time to visit Waterford?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Waterford for sightseeing.

What to pack for Waterford in October

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

In October, Waterford sees daytime highs around 61°F and nights near 53°F. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and a windbreaker. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Waterford in October

The nearest coast averages about 63°F in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 15 mi away) is warmest in August at about 71°F and coldest in February near 39°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 15 to Sep 15 — about 2.1 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan42Bracing
Feb39Bracing
Mar39Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May52Bracing
Jun61Cool
Jul69Refreshing
Aug71Refreshing
Sep68Refreshing
Oct63Cool
Nov55Bracing
Dec48Bracing

UV index in Waterford 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 Waterford peaks around July 10 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 22 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 highHighModerateLowJul 10UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Waterford 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 Waterford is worst in July — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1515 µg/m³Nov 206 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr12Good
May14Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Waterford?

Waterford sits at 41.3°N, 72.1°W, 30 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is New London, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Waterford

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Waterford has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 282 ft around an average of 102 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 656 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,325 ft.

The land around Waterford is covered by trees (73%) within 2 miles, trees (52%) and water (39%) within 10 miles, and trees (49%) and water (44%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
282 ft
10 miles
656 ft
50 miles
1,325 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
October weather nearby: New London 1.9 mi · Ledyard 9.3 mi · Montville Center 9.3 mi · Norwich 13 mi · Westerly 16 mi · Madison 24 mi · Windham 25 mi · Willimantic 25 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 Waterford (41.3417°, -72.136°, elevation 30 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). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).