Madison weather in October: Madison, Wisconsin: normal highs, lows, rain and records for October
Madison in October has a normal high of 60°F and a normal low of 40°F, a daily mean of 50°F, falling from 67°F on the 1st to 53°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal October, 2.77 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 15°C and low of 4°C, 70 mm of precipitation and 2 cm of snow in October.
- NOAA stationMadison Dane County Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014837
- Location43.14°N 89.35°W
- Elevation866 ft (264 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population285,300
- Jan 27° 12°
- Feb 31° 15°
- Mar 44° 25°
- Apr 57° 36°
- May 69° 47°
- Jun 79° 57°
- Jul 82° 62°
- Aug 80° 60°
- Sep 73° 51°
- Oct 60° 40°
- Nov 45° 29°
- Dec 32° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Madison in October?
The normal high is 60°F and the normal low 40°F, for a daily mean of 49.7°F. October is 12.3°F cooler than September and 13.0°F warmer than November. October is the 6th warmest month of the year in Madison and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 14°F, from 67°F on October 1 to 53°F on October 31. From one year to the next October's mean temperature typically moves about 2.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Octobers in three average between 47°F and 53°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 33%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 67°F | 45°F | 33% | 19% |
| October 8 | 63°F | 43°F | 33% | 18% |
| October 15 | 60°F | 40°F | 32% | 18% |
| October 22 | 57°F | 38°F | 32% | 18% |
| October 31 | 53°F | 35°F | 32% | 17% |
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 | 67°F | 45°F | 33% | 19% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 2 | 66°F | 45°F | 33% | 19% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 3 | 66°F | 44°F | 33% | 19% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 4 | 65°F | 44°F | 33% | 19% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 5 | 65°F | 44°F | 33% | 19% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 6 | 64°F | 43°F | 33% | 19% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 7 | 64°F | 43°F | 33% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 8 | 63°F | 43°F | 33% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 9 | 63°F | 42°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 10 | 62°F | 42°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 11 | 62°F | 42°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 12 | 62°F | 41°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 13 | 61°F | 41°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 14 | 61°F | 40°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 15 | 60°F | 40°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 16 | 60°F | 40°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h |
| October 17 | 59°F | 40°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h |
| October 18 | 59°F | 39°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h |
| October 19 | 58°F | 39°F | 32% | 18% | 11 h |
| October 20 | 58°F | 39°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 21 | 57°F | 38°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 22 | 57°F | 38°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 23 | 56°F | 38°F | 32% | 18% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 24 | 56°F | 37°F | 32% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 25 | 55°F | 37°F | 32% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 26 | 55°F | 36°F | 32% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 27 | 54°F | 36°F | 32% | 17% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 28 | 54°F | 36°F | 32% | 17% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 29 | 54°F | 35°F | 32% | 17% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 30 | 53°F | 35°F | 32% | 17% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 31 | 53°F | 35°F | 32% | 17% | 10 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 60°FOctober average
- Normal low
- 40°FOctober average
- Precipitation
- 2.77 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.6 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 7
- Daylight
- 11 h 50 min to 10 h 20 minOctober 1 to October 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 6
- Days at 80°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 68%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014837; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Madison in October?
On a given October day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 32% on average, highest around October 2 (33%). In all, 2.77 in falls on 10 days of a normal October, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal October in Madison, 7 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.6 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal October.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014837.
How humid and windy is Madison in October?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 50°F with 54% relative humidity and a dew point of 34°F; at 6 a.m. it is 39°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 8.1 mph, most often from the southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 39°F | 33°F | 80% | 6.8 mph | 35% |
| 9 a.m. | 44°F | 35°F | 72% | 9.3 mph | – |
| noon | 49°F | 35°F | 58% | 10.7 mph | 35% |
| 3 p.m. | 50°F | 34°F | 54% | 10.2 mph | 44% |
| 6 p.m. | 45°F | 34°F | 65% | 7.5 mph | 42% |
| 9 p.m. | 43°F | 34°F | 71% | 7.2 mph | 53% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014837. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for October in Madison?
The warmest October temperature on Madison's official record (since 1869) is 90°F, on October 6, 1963; the coldest is 12°F, on October 25, 1887. The wettest October brought 9.12 in (1881); the snowiest, 8.1 inches (2019).
The October mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 49.7°F: 2021 55.6°F (+5.9), 2022 50.1°F (+0.4), 2023 51.5°F (+1.8), 2024 55.1°F (+5.4), 2025 54.0°F (+4.3). 5 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| October | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55.6°F | +5.9°F | 1.84 in |
| 2022 | 50.1°F | +0.4°F | 0.85 in |
| 2023 | 51.5°F | +1.8°F | 2.70 in |
| 2024 | 55.1°F | +5.4°F | 2.83 in |
| 2025 | 54.0°F | +4.3°F | 1.18 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MSNthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014837. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does October in Madison compare across Wisconsin?
Across the 165 places PlainClimate covers in Wisconsin, October normal highs run from 52°F in Laona to 63°F in Lake Geneva; Madison's is 60°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.