Great Falls, MT weather in October
Great Falls is cool in October, with some rain and some snow: highs average 57°F and nights drop to about 33°F. Rain or snow falls on about 7 days. Snowfall averages about 5.2 in.
- Normal high
- 57°F
- Normal low
- 33°F
- Wet days
- 7
- 1.1 in total
- Snowfall
- 5.2 in
- snow on the ground 3 days
How October changes from start to finish
| October 1 | October 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 65°F | 50°F |
| Normal low | 38°F | 28°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 24% | 23% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:24 am / 7:05 pm | 8:07 am / 6:09 pm |
| Daylight | 11.7 h | 10.0 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Mountain Time).
A typical October day
- 6 am39°Fdew point 29°F
- 9 am45°Fdew point 30°F
- Noon53°Fdew point 30°F
- 3 pm55°Fdew point 29°F
- 6 pm48°Fdew point 29°F
- 9 pm43°Fdew point 29°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Great Falls Intl Airport (4 mi away); average wind 12 mph; clear or few clouds in 63% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 31%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F8 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow7 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in3 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below15 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more3 of 31
Average days per October, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain and snow in October
Normal precipitation is 1.1 in; a dry October brings about 0.6 in and a wet one about 1.5 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare. Normal snowfall is 5.2 in, with about 2 days of an inch or more.
How October varies from year to year
- Warmest October, 1991-20202010: average high 65°F
- Coolest October2009: average high 48°F
- Wettest October1992: 2.6 in
- Driest October2003: 0.3 in
- Highest reading91°F (October 1, 1992)
- Lowest reading-11°F (October 30, 1991)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
October compared with September and November
| September | October | November | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 72°F | 57°F | 44°F |
| Normal low | 43°F | 33°F | 24°F |
| Wet days | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Comfortable days | 14 | 8 | 1 |
| Daylight | 12.6 h | 10.8 h | 9.3 h |
Highs change by -15°F from September and -13°F into November.
Nearby alternatives in October
- Cooler: West Yellowstone, MT196 mi · high 51°F · 10 wet days
How Great Falls ranks in October
- Normal high352nd warmest of 378 cities; 2nd of 6 in Montana
- Wet days177th driest of 378
- Comfortable days251st most of 340
What to pack for Great Falls in October
- A warm jacket – lows near 33°F, highs near 57°F
- Waterproof boots – about 5.2 in of snow in a typical year
Heating and cooling
October has 628 heating degree days and 2 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 8% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Great Falls in October?
The normal high is 57°F and the normal low is 33°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest October reading was -11°F (October 30, 1991).
Does it rain a lot in Great Falls in October?
About 7 days in October have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 1.1 in. The wettest October in 1991-2020 was in 1992 (2.6 in); the driest was in 2003 (0.3 in).
Does it snow in Great Falls in October?
Yes. Normal snowfall in October is 5.2 in, and snow covers the ground on about 3 days.
Is October a good time to visit Great Falls?
October ranks 7th of 12 months on our comfort score for Great Falls (55 out of 100). It has about 8 comfortable days. The best month is June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Great Falls Intl Airport (USW00024143), 4.2 mi WSW of the city center, 3,664 ft (335 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Great Falls International Airport (727750-24143), 4.3 mi WSW of the city center, 3,667 ft (338 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.