Iowa City weather in October: Iowa City, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for October
Iowa City in October has a normal high of 64°F and a normal low of 42°F, a daily mean of 53°F, falling from 72°F on the 1st to 57°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal October, 2.98 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 18°C and low of 6°C, 76 mm of precipitation in October.
- NOAA stationIowa City Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00014937
- Location41.63°N 91.54°W
- Elevation650 ft (198 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population76,710
- Jan 31° 15°
- Feb 36° 19°
- Mar 50° 30°
- Apr 63° 40°
- May 73° 52°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 86° 66°
- Aug 84° 63°
- Sep 78° 54°
- Oct 64° 42°
- Nov 49° 30°
- Dec 36° 20°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Iowa City in October?
The normal high is 64°F and the normal low 42°F, for a daily mean of 53.1°F. October is 12.7°F cooler than September and 13.3°F warmer than November. October is the 6th warmest month of the year in Iowa City and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 15°F, from 72°F on October 1 to 57°F on October 31. From one year to the next October's mean temperature typically moves about 2.7°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Octobers in three average between 50°F and 56°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 72°F | 48°F | 32% | 18% |
| October 8 | 68°F | 45°F | 31% | 17% |
| October 15 | 65°F | 43°F | 31% | 17% |
| October 22 | 61°F | 40°F | 30% | 17% |
| October 31 | 57°F | 36°F | 29% | 15% |
Every day of October: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon October 1, coldest night October 31)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 72°F | 48°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 2 | 71°F | 48°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 3 | 71°F | 47°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 4 | 70°F | 47°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 5 | 70°F | 46°F | 32% | 17% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 6 | 69°F | 46°F | 32% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 7 | 69°F | 46°F | 32% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 8 | 68°F | 45°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 9 | 68°F | 45°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 10 | 67°F | 44°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 11 | 67°F | 44°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 12 | 66°F | 44°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 13 | 66°F | 43°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 14 | 65°F | 43°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 15 | 65°F | 43°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 16 | 64°F | 42°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 17 | 64°F | 42°F | 31% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 18 | 63°F | 41°F | 30% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 19 | 63°F | 41°F | 30% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 20 | 62°F | 41°F | 30% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 21 | 62°F | 40°F | 30% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 22 | 61°F | 40°F | 30% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 23 | 61°F | 39°F | 30% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 24 | 60°F | 39°F | 30% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 25 | 60°F | 39°F | 30% | 16% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 26 | 59°F | 38°F | 30% | 16% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 27 | 59°F | 38°F | 30% | 16% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 28 | 58°F | 38°F | 29% | 16% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 29 | 58°F | 37°F | 29% | 16% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 30 | 57°F | 37°F | 29% | 15% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 31 | 57°F | 36°F | 29% | 15% | 10 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 64°FOctober average
- Normal low
- 42°FOctober average
- Precipitation
- 2.98 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 6
- Daylight
- 11 h 50 min to 10 h 30 minOctober 1 to October 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 9
- Days at 80°F or more
- 3
- Sunshine
- 72%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014937; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Iowa City in October?
On a given October day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 31% on average, highest around October 1 (32%). In all, 2.98 in falls on 10 days of a normal October, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal October in Iowa City, 6 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014937.
What are the records for October in Iowa City?
The warmest October temperature on this station's record (since 1948) is 93°F, on October 3, 2006; the coldest is 11°F, on October 29, 1952. The wettest October brought 7.25 in (2009).
The October mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 53.1°F: 2021 57.6°F (+4.5), 2022 51.9°F (−1.2), 2023 54.9°F (+1.8), 2024 57.5°F (+4.4), 2025 58.9°F (+5.8). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| October | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57.6°F | +4.5°F | 5.98 in |
| 2022 | 51.9°F | −1.2°F | 0.82 in |
| 2023 | 54.9°F | +1.8°F | 2.47 in |
| 2024 | 57.5°F | +4.4°F | 2.05 in |
| 2025 | 58.9°F | +5.8°F | 1.24 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00014937; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014937. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does October in Iowa City compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, October normal highs run from 57°F in Northwood to 67°F in Glenwood; Iowa City's is 64°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.