Ottumwa weather in October: Ottumwa, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for October
Ottumwa in October has a normal high of 64°F and a normal low of 42°F, a daily mean of 53°F, falling from 71°F on the 1st to 57°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal October, 2.81 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 18°C and low of 5°C, 71 mm of precipitation and 1 cm of snow in October.
- NOAA stationOttumwa Industrial Airport
- Station IDUSW00014950
- Location41.11°N 92.45°W
- Elevation842 ft (257 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population25,648
- Jan 32° 14°
- Feb 37° 18°
- Mar 50° 29°
- Apr 63° 39°
- May 73° 51°
- Jun 82° 61°
- Jul 86° 65°
- Aug 84° 62°
- Sep 77° 53°
- Oct 64° 42°
- Nov 50° 30°
- Dec 37° 20°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Ottumwa in October?
The normal high is 64°F and the normal low 42°F, for a daily mean of 52.9°F. October is 12.4°F cooler than September and 13.3°F warmer than November. October is the 6th warmest month of the year in Ottumwa and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 14°F, from 71°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 27%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 71°F | 48°F | 27% | 17% |
| October 8 | 68°F | 45°F | 27% | 17% |
| October 15 | 65°F | 42°F | 27% | 16% |
| October 22 | 61°F | 39°F | 26% | 15% |
| October 31 | 57°F | 36°F | 26% | 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 | 71°F | 48°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 2 | 71°F | 47°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 3 | 70°F | 47°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 4 | 70°F | 46°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 5 | 70°F | 46°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 6 | 69°F | 46°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 7 | 69°F | 45°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 8 | 68°F | 45°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 9 | 68°F | 44°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 10 | 67°F | 44°F | 27% | 16% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 11 | 67°F | 44°F | 27% | 16% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 12 | 66°F | 43°F | 27% | 16% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 13 | 66°F | 43°F | 27% | 16% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 14 | 65°F | 42°F | 27% | 16% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 15 | 65°F | 42°F | 27% | 16% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 16 | 64°F | 42°F | 26% | 16% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 17 | 64°F | 41°F | 26% | 16% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 18 | 63°F | 41°F | 26% | 16% | 11 h |
| October 19 | 63°F | 41°F | 26% | 15% | 11 h |
| October 20 | 62°F | 40°F | 26% | 15% | 11 h |
| October 21 | 62°F | 40°F | 26% | 15% | 11 h |
| October 22 | 61°F | 39°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 23 | 61°F | 39°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 24 | 60°F | 38°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 25 | 60°F | 38°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 26 | 59°F | 38°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 27 | 59°F | 37°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 28 | 58°F | 37°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 29 | 58°F | 36°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 30 | 58°F | 36°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 31 | 57°F | 36°F | 26% | 15% | 10 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 64°FOctober average
- Normal low
- 42°FOctober average
- Precipitation
- 2.81 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.5 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 5
- Daylight
- 11 h 50 min to 10 h 30 minOctober 1 to October 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 10
- Days at 80°F or more
- 3
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014950; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Ottumwa in October?
On a given October day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 26% on average, highest around October 1 (27%). In all, 2.81 in falls on 9 days of a normal October, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal October in Ottumwa, 5 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.5 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014950.
How humid and windy is Ottumwa in October?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 54°F with 51% relative humidity and a dew point of 36°F; at 6 a.m. it is 40°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 11.1 mph, most often from the west-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. | 40°F | 35°F | 80% | 10.3 mph | 60% |
| 9 a.m. | 45°F | 36°F | 72% | 12.1 mph | 59% |
| noon | 52°F | 37°F | 56% | 13.4 mph | 58% |
| 3 p.m. | 54°F | 36°F | 51% | 13.4 mph | 58% |
| 6 p.m. | 48°F | 36°F | 63% | 10.0 mph | 61% |
| 9 p.m. | 45°F | 36°F | 70% | 10.3 mph | 66% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014950. 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 Ottumwa?
The warmest October temperature on this station's record (since 1948) is 93°F, on October 2, 1953; the coldest is 17°F, on October 19, 1972. The wettest October brought 6.63 in (1998); the snowiest, 6.2 inches (2019).
The October mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 52.9°F: 2021 56.9°F (+4.0), 2022 52.1°F (−0.8), 2023 54.7°F (+1.8), 2024 57.5°F (+4.6), 2025 58.8°F (+5.9). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| October | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56.9°F | +4.0°F | 6.09 in |
| 2022 | 52.1°F | −0.8°F | 1.41 in |
| 2023 | 54.7°F | +1.8°F | 1.96 in |
| 2024 | 57.5°F | +4.6°F | 2.89 in |
| 2025 | 58.8°F | +5.9°F | 1.21 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00014950; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014950. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does October in Ottumwa 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; Ottumwa's is 64°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.