Watertown weather in October

In October, Watertown sees average daytime highs of 56°F and overnight lows near 37°F, with 2.2 in of precipitation across 6.9 wet days and about 10.7 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 49°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% 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 Watertown's 4th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Watertown's year-round climate.

Daytime high
56°
6th warmest
Overnight low
37°
7th coldest
Precipitation
2.2 in
6.9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
6:52 AM – 5:35 PM
Cloud cover
55%
4th clearest
Wind
11 mph
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.94 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.1
out of 10

Watertown is city in and county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States.

Density
329/km²
people per km²
Founded
1879

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 49°F by the end.

A typical October day in Watertown reaches about 56°F in the afternoon and slips back to 37°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 41°F and 71°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 15°F cooler than September and about 16°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16443
26343
36343
46242
56242
66141
76141
86041
96040
105940
115939
125839
135839
145738
155738
165637
175637
185537
195536
205436
215335
225335
235235
245234
255134
265133
275033
284932
294932
304831
314831

How October really feels in Watertown

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 20 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
20
wind chill below the day's low

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

Watertown 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
Jan21° / 0.95.25.490.0
Feb25° / 10°0.84.64.610.10.0
Mar38° / 21°1.663.811.60.2
Apr53° / 33°2.89.5313.23.0
May66° / 46°3.411.40.114.65.7
Jun75° / 57°4.412.2015.36.5
Jul80° / 62°3.19.4015.16.9
Aug78° / 59°3.29.3013.97.1
Sep71° / 50°2.58012.37.0
Oct56° / 37°2.26.91.210.74.1
Nov40° / 24°1.353.69.40.4
Dec26° / 13°0.955.48.70.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15941
25941
35743
45743
55644
65545
75347
85347
95248
105248
115149
125149
135149
145050
155050
165050
174951
184852
194852
204852
214753
224753
234753
244753
254753
264753
274753
284753
294753
304753
314852

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Watertown gets around 2.2 in of rain and snow over 6.9 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 22% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1271
2271
3261
4261
5262
6262
7262
8252
9252
10253
11243
12233
13233
14224
15224
16214
17214
18204
19204
20205
21195
22195
23195
24196
25196
26197
27187
28188
29188
30188
31179

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 98% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19262
29451
39451
49541
59541
69631
79631
89631
99631
109631
119721
129820
139820
149820
159820
169910
179910
189910
199910
209910
219910
229910
239910
249910
259910
269910
279910
2810000
2910000
3010000
3110000

Wind in October

Winds average 11 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 11 mph on the calmest days to 11 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
111light breeze
211light breeze
311light breeze
411light breeze
511light breeze
611light breeze
711light breeze
811light breeze
911light breeze
1011light breeze
1111light breeze
1211light breeze
1311light breeze
1411light breeze
1511light breeze
1611light breeze
1711light breeze
1811light breeze
1911light breeze
2011light breeze
2111light breeze
2211light breeze
2311light breeze
2411light breeze
2511light breeze
2611light breeze
2711light breeze
2811light breeze
2911light breeze
3011light breeze
3111light 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 6:32 AM to 7:12 AM, and sunset from 6:03 PM to 5:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:326:03
211.56:346:01
311.46:355:59
411.36:365:57
511.36:375:55
611.26:395:53
711.26:405:51
811.16:415:49
911.16:435:48
1011.06:445:46
1111.06:455:44
1210.96:475:42
1310.96:485:40
1410.86:495:39
1510.86:515:37
1610.76:525:35
1710.76:535:33
1810.66:555:32
1910.66:565:30
2010.56:575:28
2110.56:595:27
2210.47:005:25
2310.47:015:23
2410.37:035:22
2510.37:045:20
2610.27:065:19
2710.27:075:17
2810.17:085:16
2910.17:105:14
3010.07:115:13
3110.07:125:12

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 2.94 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.56 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 2.94 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.7Moderate
23.6Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.5Moderate
63.4Moderate
73.4Moderate
83.3Moderate
93.3Moderate
103.2Moderate
113.2Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.1Moderate
143.1Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
172.9Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.7Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.6Moderate
252.6Moderate
262.5Moderate
272.5Moderate
282.5Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Watertown

In seasonPeak

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

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

Watertown's rainy season runs April–October, 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 Watertown?

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 Watertown for sightseeing.

What to pack for Watertown in October

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

In October, Watertown sees daytime highs around 56°F and nights near 37°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Watertown 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 Watertown peaks around June 19 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 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 19UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May6High
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Watertown?

Watertown sits at 44.9°N, 97.1°W, 1,732 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Brookings, 43 mi away.

Topography around Watertown

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Watertown has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 115 ft around an average of 1,736 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 344 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,237 ft.

The land around Watertown is covered by grassland (38%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 2 miles, cropland (58%) and grassland (28%) within 10 miles, and cropland (62%) and grassland (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
115 ft
10 miles
344 ft
50 miles
1,237 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Brookings 43 mi · Aberdeen 78 mi · Mitchell 94 mi · Sioux Falls 96 mi · Willmar 103 mi · West Fargo 137 mi · Moorhead 137 mi · Fargo 137 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 Watertown (44.8994°, -97.1151°, elevation 1,732 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).