How Cold Can October Get in Montana? These Records Show Us

October in Montana is when we start seeing some of the big changes. 

Winter Weather Forecast: What to Expect

This is the month when we get our first real taste of what the upcoming winter might feel like. 

There has already been a lot of talk about the weather, especially with the possibility of a strong El Niño developing this winter. The chances of that have continued to increase. For Montana, one of the potential impacts could be above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation. 

Of course, that's looking ahead to winter. 

READ MORE:��NOAA and Old Farmer’s Almanac Disagree on Montana’s Winter

October itself is a month of transition. 

Experiencing Fall Foliage and Frosts

This is when we have some of our best chances to see the fall foliage really happening across Montana. It's also when much of the state starts experiencing its first frosts of the season.

It's the time of year when you start changing your clothes around. 

The summer stuff starts getting put away, and the warmer clothes come back out. 

Cold Mornings Ahead: Don't Forget Your Window Scraper

It's also probably time to throw a window scraper into your vehicle if you haven't already. 

Because sooner or later, you're going to walk out to your vehicle in the morning and find out that summer is officially over. 

Average October Weather Patterns in Montana

So, what does October normally look like here in Montana? 

READ MORE: Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts Two Very Different Falls for Montana

NOAA has been keeping weather records dating back to 1895, including records for the warmest and coldest Octobers. 

When we're talking about these records, we're talking about the average temperature for the entire month. That takes the daytime highs and overnight lows and averages them together for the month. 

So, let's take a look back at the 10 coldest Octobers ever recorded in Montana, according to NOAA using the average temperatures for the month. 

Some of these numbers might surprise you.