Discover the 7 States with Worst October Weather

October brings chilly air, soaking rains, and snow to parts of the United States. The 10^th month is the one where people finally have to let go of summer and embrace the fall. Not every state has the same experiences with this month, though. A few states have very challenging weather during this time of the year. Today, we’re going to look at the 7 states with the worst October weather.

Discover which parts of the U.S. have the most challenging weather during the onset of autumn. In this case, we’re considering states that are the coldest and snowiest, or that have another form of severe weather in October. This list isn’t attempting to rank the states by severity; this is a subjective list of states that have bad weather in October.  

1. Florida

The Sunshine State may be a surprising entry on this list. After all, Florida also has some of the best weather year-round. People love the state’s warm weather and sunny days, even if they are often interrupted by rain for a little while.

Rain is not the reason that Florida is on the list. Instead, Florida is sometimes struck by powerful hurricanes during October. At least 10 hurricanes rated Category 3 or above have struck this state in the month of October. The most recent one was Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that killed at least 74 people, caused billions of dollars of damage, and displaced people. So, Florida can certainly experience some of the nastiest weather possible during the early fall.

2. Alaska

Alaska is the coldest state in October. The average temperature for the month in this state is just 34 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperatures only drop from there. The cold weather is just one facet of the weather that takes hold of the region in this month, though.

Parts of Alaska see several inches of snow throughout the month. Places like Barrow and Bettles can see over 10 inches of snow during the month!  

3. Montana

Montana makes the list of states with the worst October weather in the U.S. for the same reasons as Alaska. Big Sky Country gets very cold starting in October. The average temperature in the state in October is about 43 degrees Fahrenheit, a fairly cool temperature. Of course, the lows in the state can dip much lower than that.

Also, Montana is one of the states where snowfalls occur early in the year. The state averages about 4.4 inches of snow in October. While that is not a tremendous amount of snow, the appearance of winter precipitation can compromise travel safety.

4. Louisiana

Louisiana is on the list of states with the worst October weather for the same reason as Florida. Louisiana has been struck by 11 hurricanes in October. Fortunately, the hurricanes that strike this region in the middle of fall are not as powerful as those that hit Florida.

Still, hurricanes bring a deadly combination of wind, rain, and storm surge that kills people and destroys property. So, Louisiana certainly earned its spot on this list.

Fortunately, this state is among the warmest states in October. At the very least, people in this state do not have to worry about exceptionally cold weather.

5. Wyoming

Wyoming makes this list of the states with the worst October weather because it is one of the coldest places in the U.S. during that time of the year. The state averages about 45 degrees Fahrenheit as the overall temperature. That is quite chilly compared to many parts of the United States.

Wyoming can receive quite a bit of snowfall starting in October. The winters are long-lasting, and the first snowfall in Wyoming is a harbinger of things to come.

6. North Dakota

Like other states on this list, North Dakota’s temperatures plunge in October. The average overall temperature in October is just 47 degrees Fahrenheit, and it can get much lower. The people who live in this state are used to the cool temperatures, but it’s still one of the coldest places in the U.S. in October.

Snow is not unusual in this state during October, either. However, the state only averages about 2.5 inches of snow during the month. Some parts of the state can get much more snow, and the winter precipitation can come earlier than October. The earliest significant snowfall in North Dakota occurred on September 12, 1903.  

7. Michigan

The last entry on the list of states with the worst October weather is Michigan. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan gets about 6.4 inches of snow on average in October. That is the highest average snowfall of any state in October in the contiguous United States.

Michigan does not have the blistering cold of other northern states, but it is still one of the harshest places in October.

All these states have a reason or several reasons that they belong on this list. Most of the states face cold temperatures and snowfall. However, Florida and Louisiana have unique issues in the form of hurricanes. The challenges these states face are varied, but other states also have difficult October weather.

Summary of the States with the Worst October Weather

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