Sterling weather in October: Sterling, Virginia: normal highs, lows, rain and records for October
Sterling in October has a normal high of 68°F and a normal low of 45°F, a daily mean of 57°F, falling from 73°F on the 1st to 62°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal October, 3.65 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 20°C and low of 7°C, 93 mm of precipitation in October.
- NOAA stationWashington Dulles International Airport
- Station IDUSW00093738
- Location38.94°N 77.46°W
- Elevation290 ft (88 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population (census place)31,251
- Jan 43° 25°
- Feb 46° 27°
- Mar 55° 34°
- Apr 67° 43°
- May 75° 53°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 88° 67°
- Aug 86° 65°
- Sep 79° 58°
- Oct 68° 45°
- Nov 57° 36°
- Dec 47° 29°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Sterling in October?
The normal high is 68°F and the normal low 45°F, for a daily mean of 56.6°F. October is 12.0°F cooler than September and 10.6°F warmer than November. October is the 6th warmest month of the year in Sterling and the 5th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 11°F, from 73°F on October 1 to 62°F on October 31. From one year to the next October's mean temperature typically moves about 2.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Octobers in three average between 54°F and 59°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 28%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 73°F | 52°F | 28% | 18% |
| October 8 | 71°F | 48°F | 28% | 18% |
| October 15 | 68°F | 46°F | 27% | 18% |
| October 22 | 66°F | 43°F | 27% | 17% |
| October 31 | 62°F | 40°F | 27% | 18% |
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 | 73°F | 52°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 2 | 73°F | 51°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 3 | 73°F | 51°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 4 | 72°F | 50°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 5 | 72°F | 50°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 6 | 72°F | 49°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 7 | 71°F | 49°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 8 | 71°F | 48°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 9 | 70°F | 48°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 10 | 70°F | 48°F | 28% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 11 | 70°F | 47°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 12 | 69°F | 47°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 13 | 69°F | 46°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 14 | 69°F | 46°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 15 | 68°F | 46°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 16 | 68°F | 45°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 17 | 67°F | 45°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 18 | 67°F | 44°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 19 | 67°F | 44°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 20 | 66°F | 44°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h |
| October 21 | 66°F | 43°F | 27% | 18% | 11 h |
| October 22 | 66°F | 43°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 23 | 65°F | 43°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 24 | 65°F | 42°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 25 | 65°F | 42°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 26 | 64°F | 41°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 27 | 64°F | 41°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 28 | 64°F | 41°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 29 | 63°F | 41°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 30 | 63°F | 40°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 31 | 62°F | 40°F | 27% | 18% | 10 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 68°FOctober average
- Normal low
- 45°FOctober average
- Precipitation
- 3.65 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 2
- Daylight
- 11 h 50 min to 10 h 40 minOctober 1 to October 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 14
- Days at 80°F or more
- 4
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093738; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Sterling in October?
On a given October day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 27% on average, highest around October 1 (28%). In all, 3.65 in falls on 8 days of a normal October, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal October in Sterling, 2 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093738.
How humid and windy is Sterling in October?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 61°F with 47% relative humidity and a dew point of 40°F; at 6 a.m. it is 45°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 6.6 mph, most often from the west-northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 45°F | 39°F | 82% | 4.8 mph | 45% |
| 9 a.m. | 51°F | 41°F | 70% | 7.3 mph | 37% |
| noon | 58°F | 41°F | 53% | 9.3 mph | 34% |
| 3 p.m. | 61°F | 40°F | 47% | 9.4 mph | 33% |
| 6 p.m. | 55°F | 41°F | 60% | 6.5 mph | 41% |
| 9 p.m. | 50°F | 41°F | 71% | 5.6 mph | 50% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093738. 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 Sterling?
The warmest October temperature on this station's record (since 1960) is 96°F, on October 2, 2019; the coldest is 15°F, on October 24, 1969. The wettest October brought 9.22 in (2005); the snowiest, 1.3 inches (1979).
The October mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 56.6°F: 2021 63.6°F (+7.0), 2022 55.0°F (−1.6), 2023 60.2°F (+3.6), 2024 58.2°F (+1.6), 2025 57.0°F (+0.4). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| October | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 63.6°F | +7.0°F | 4.28 in |
| 2022 | 55.0°F | −1.6°F | 2.24 in |
| 2023 | 60.2°F | +3.6°F | 0.67 in |
| 2024 | 58.2°F | +1.6°F | 0.13 in |
| 2025 | 57.0°F | +0.4°F | 2.13 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093738; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093738. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does October in Sterling compare across Virginia?
Across the 81 places PlainClimate covers in Virginia, October normal highs run from 64°F in Hot Springs to 76°F in Chesapeake; Sterling's is 68°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.