Wausau weather in October

In October, Wausau sees average daytime highs of 54°F and overnight lows near 38°F, with 3.0 in of precipitation across 9.6 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 61°F in the first days to 48°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% 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 Wausau's 6th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wausau's year-round climate.

Daytime high
54°
6th warmest
Overnight low
38°
7th coldest
Precipitation
3.0 in
9.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
6:22 AM – 5:05 PM
Cloud cover
65%
6th clearest
Wind
9 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.66 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Wausau is city in and county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States.

Density
753/km²
people per km²

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 61°F in the first days to 48°F by the end.

A typical October day in Wausau reaches about 54°F in the afternoon and slips back to 38°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 42°F and 68°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)
16243
26143
36143
46042
56042
66041
75941
85941
95840
105840
115740
125739
135639
145639
155538
165538
175438
185337
195337
205237
215236
225136
235136
245035
255035
264935
274934
284834
294833
304733
314733

How October really feels in Wausau

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 16 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
16
wind chill below the day's low

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

Wausau 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° / 1.27.17.690.0
Feb28° / 10°1.15.45.110.10.0
Mar40° / 21°2.18.25.511.60.3
Apr53° / 34°3.211.33.513.23.0
May65° / 46°3.712.50.214.65.5
Jun74° / 56°4.111.8015.36.4
Jul78° / 60°3.611.4015.16.6
Aug76° / 57°3.710.5013.96.9
Sep68° / 49°3.210.1012.36.3
Oct54° / 38°3.09.60.810.73.4
Nov39° / 26°2.07.53.89.40.3
Dec28° / 14°1.67.16.88.60.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% 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 60%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24555
34555
44456
54456
64357
74456
84357
94258
104357
114357
124357
134357
144159
154060
164060
173961
183961
193862
203763
213763
223664
233664
243664
253664
263664
273664
283664
293664
303664
313664

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Wausau gets around 3.0 in of rain and snow over 9.6 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 31% and peaks near 34% 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 (%)
1340
2340
3340
4330
5330
6331
7321
8321
9321
10322
11312
12312
13313
14313
15313
16314
17314
18314
19314
20314
21314
22314
23305
24305
25295
26295
27285
28285
29275
30276
31266

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 96% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
190631
290631
392521
492521
593421
693421
793421
894321
994321
1095320
1196310
1296310
1396310
1497210
1597210
1697210
1797210
1897210
1997210
2097210
2197210
2297210
2398110
2498110
2598110
2698110
2798110
2899100
2999100
3099100
3199100

Wind in October

Winds average 9 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light 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
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light 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 6:02 AM to 6:43 AM, and sunset from 5:33 PM to 4:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:025:33
211.56:045:31
311.46:055:29
411.36:065:27
511.36:085:25
611.26:095:23
711.26:105:21
811.16:115:19
911.16:135:18
1011.06:145:16
1111.06:155:14
1210.96:175:12
1310.96:185:10
1410.86:195:09
1510.86:215:07
1610.76:225:05
1710.76:235:03
1810.66:255:02
1910.66:265:00
2010.56:274:58
2110.56:294:57
2210.46:304:55
2310.46:324:53
2410.36:334:52
2510.36:344:50
2610.26:364:49
2710.26:374:47
2810.16:384:46
2910.16:404:44
3010.06:414:43
3110.06:434:41

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 1.37 kWh/m² to a high of 6.08 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 2.66 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.3Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.2Moderate
53.2Moderate
63.1Moderate
73.1Moderate
83.0Moderate
93.0Moderate
102.9Moderate
112.9Moderate
122.9Moderate
132.8Moderate
142.8Moderate
152.7Moderate
162.6Moderate
172.6Moderate
182.5Moderate
192.5Moderate
202.5Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.2Moderate
282.2Moderate
292.2Moderate
302.1Moderate
312.1Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Wausau?

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 Wausau.

What to pack for Wausau in October

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

In October, Wausau sees daytime highs around 54°F and nights near 38°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Wausau 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 Wausau peaks around June 17 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 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 17UV 9Jan 11UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Wausau?

Wausau sits at 45.0°N, 89.6°W, 1,204 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Weston, 6.2 mi away.

Topography around Wausau

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Wausau has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 338 ft around an average of 1,250 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 807 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,168 ft.

The land around Wausau is covered by trees (45%) and artificial surfaces (32%) within 2 miles, trees (59%) and cropland (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (67%) and cropland (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
338 ft
10 miles
807 ft
50 miles
1,168 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
October weather nearby: Weston 6.2 mi · Stevens Point 30 mi · Marshfield 34 mi · Wisconsin Rapids 41 mi · Appleton 77 mi · Menasha 78 mi · Neenah 78 mi · Howard 81 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 Wausau (44.9591°, -89.6301°, elevation 1,204 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).