Watertown weather in October: Watertown, South Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for October
Watertown in October has a normal high of 56°F and a normal low of 35°F, a daily mean of 46°F, falling from 65°F on the 1st to 48°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal October, 1.95 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 13°C and low of 2°C, 50 mm of precipitation and 4 cm of snow in October.
- NOAA stationWatertown Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014946
- Location44.90°N 97.15°W
- Elevation1,748 ft (533 m)
- Population23,492
- Jan 21° 3°
- Feb 26° 7°
- Mar 39° 20°
- Apr 54° 32°
- May 67° 45°
- Jun 77° 55°
- Jul 82° 60°
- Aug 80° 58°
- Sep 72° 49°
- Oct 56° 35°
- Nov 40° 21°
- Dec 26° 9°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Watertown in October?
The normal high is 56°F and the normal low 35°F, for a daily mean of 45.7°F. October is 14.4°F cooler than September and 15.1°F warmer than November. October is the 6th warmest month of the year in Watertown and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 17°F, from 65°F on October 1 to 48°F on October 31. From one year to the next October's mean temperature typically moves about 3.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Octobers in three average between 42°F and 49°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 26%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 65°F | 42°F | 26% | 14% |
| October 8 | 61°F | 39°F | 25% | 13% |
| October 15 | 57°F | 36°F | 24% | 12% |
| October 22 | 53°F | 33°F | 22% | 11% |
| October 31 | 48°F | 28°F | 21% | 9% |
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 | 65°F | 42°F | 26% | 14% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 2 | 64°F | 42°F | 26% | 14% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 3 | 64°F | 41°F | 26% | 14% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 4 | 63°F | 41°F | 26% | 14% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 5 | 62°F | 40°F | 26% | 14% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 6 | 62°F | 40°F | 25% | 13% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 7 | 61°F | 39°F | 25% | 13% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 8 | 61°F | 39°F | 25% | 13% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 9 | 60°F | 38°F | 25% | 13% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 10 | 60°F | 38°F | 25% | 13% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 11 | 59°F | 38°F | 24% | 13% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 12 | 59°F | 37°F | 24% | 12% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 13 | 58°F | 37°F | 24% | 12% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 14 | 57°F | 36°F | 24% | 12% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 15 | 57°F | 36°F | 24% | 12% | 11 h |
| October 16 | 56°F | 35°F | 23% | 12% | 11 h |
| October 17 | 56°F | 35°F | 23% | 12% | 11 h |
| October 18 | 55°F | 34°F | 23% | 11% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 19 | 55°F | 34°F | 23% | 11% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 20 | 54°F | 33°F | 23% | 11% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 21 | 53°F | 33°F | 23% | 11% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 22 | 53°F | 33°F | 22% | 11% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 23 | 52°F | 32°F | 22% | 11% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 24 | 52°F | 32°F | 22% | 11% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 25 | 51°F | 31°F | 22% | 10% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 26 | 51°F | 31°F | 22% | 10% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 27 | 50°F | 30°F | 22% | 10% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 28 | 50°F | 30°F | 21% | 10% | 10 h 20 min |
| October 29 | 49°F | 29°F | 21% | 10% | 10 h 20 min |
| October 30 | 48°F | 29°F | 21% | 10% | 10 h 20 min |
| October 31 | 48°F | 28°F | 21% | 9% | 10 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 56°FOctober average
- Normal low
- 35°FOctober average
- Precipitation
- 1.95 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 1.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 12
- Daylight
- 11 h 50 min to 10 h 20 minOctober 1 to October 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 5
- Days at 80°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014946; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Watertown in October?
On a given October day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 24% on average, highest around October 1 (26%). In all, 1.95 in falls on 8 days of a normal October.
In a normal October in Watertown, 12 nights fall to freezing, 1 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 1.4 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal October, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014946.
How humid and windy is Watertown in October?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 46°F with 54% relative humidity and a dew point of 30°F; at 6 a.m. it is 33°F with 84% humidity. The wind averages 11.3 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 33°F | 28°F | 84% | 10.0 mph | 63% |
| 9 a.m. | 36°F | 30°F | 79% | 11.5 mph | 62% |
| noon | 44°F | 31°F | 60% | 13.8 mph | 61% |
| 3 p.m. | 46°F | 30°F | 54% | 14.4 mph | 59% |
| 6 p.m. | 40°F | 30°F | 67% | 10.7 mph | 64% |
| 9 p.m. | 37°F | 30°F | 75% | 10.5 mph | 61% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014946. 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 Watertown?
The warmest October temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 91°F, on October 1, 1951; the coldest is −2°F, on October 29, 1925. The wettest October brought 8.10 in (1971); the snowiest, 12.6 inches (1995).
The October mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 45.7°F: 2021 50.6°F (+4.9), 2022 47.1°F (+1.4), 2023 46.8°F (+1.1), 2024 51.8°F (+6.1), 2025 52.0°F (+6.3). 5 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| October | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50.6°F | +4.9°F | 7.63 in |
| 2022 | 47.1°F | +1.4°F | 0.73 in |
| 2023 | 46.8°F | +1.1°F | 2.35 in |
| 2024 | 51.8°F | +6.1°F | 0.08 in |
| 2025 | 52.0°F | +6.3°F | 0.62 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00014946; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014946. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does October in Watertown compare across South Dakota?
Across the 100 places PlainClimate covers in South Dakota, October normal highs run from 54°F in Custer to 65°F in Interior; Watertown's is 56°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Watertown in September72°F by day, 49°F at night
- Watertown in November40°F by day, 21°F at night
- Watertown through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- South Dakota in OctoberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Interior: South Dakota's warmest Octobernormal high 65°F