Washington weather in October: Washington, District of Columbia: normal highs, lows, rain and records for October
Washington in October has a normal high of 69°F and a normal low of 52°F, a daily mean of 61°F, falling from 75°F on the 1st to 64°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal October, 3.66 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 11°C, 93 mm of precipitation in October.
- NOAA stationWashington Reagan Airport
- Station IDUSW00013743
- Location38.85°N 77.03°W
- Elevation10 ft (3 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population702,250
- Jan 45° 30°
- Feb 48° 32°
- Mar 57° 39°
- Apr 68° 48°
- May 77° 58°
- Jun 85° 68°
- Jul 90° 72°
- Aug 88° 71°
- Sep 81° 64°
- Oct 69° 52°
- Nov 58° 42°
- Dec 49° 35°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Washington in October?
The normal high is 69°F and the normal low 52°F, for a daily mean of 60.8°F. October is 11.6°F cooler than September and 10.9°F warmer than November. October is the 6th warmest month of the year in Washington and the 5th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 11°F, from 75°F on October 1 to 64°F on October 31. From one year to the next October's mean temperature typically moves about 2.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Octobers in three average between 59°F and 63°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 | 75°F | 58°F | 28% | 17% |
| October 8 | 72°F | 55°F | 28% | 17% |
| October 15 | 70°F | 53°F | 27% | 17% |
| October 22 | 67°F | 50°F | 27% | 17% |
| October 31 | 64°F | 46°F | 27% | 17% |
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 | 75°F | 58°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 2 | 75°F | 58°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 3 | 74°F | 58°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 4 | 74°F | 57°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 5 | 74°F | 57°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 6 | 73°F | 56°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 7 | 73°F | 56°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 8 | 72°F | 55°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 9 | 72°F | 55°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 10 | 72°F | 55°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 11 | 71°F | 54°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 12 | 71°F | 54°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 13 | 71°F | 53°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 14 | 70°F | 53°F | 28% | 17% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 15 | 70°F | 53°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 16 | 69°F | 52°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 17 | 69°F | 52°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 18 | 69°F | 51°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 19 | 68°F | 51°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 20 | 68°F | 51°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 21 | 68°F | 50°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 22 | 67°F | 50°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 23 | 67°F | 49°F | 27% | 17% | 11 h |
| October 24 | 67°F | 49°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 25 | 66°F | 49°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 26 | 66°F | 48°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 27 | 65°F | 48°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 28 | 65°F | 48°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 29 | 65°F | 47°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 30 | 64°F | 47°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 31 | 64°F | 46°F | 27% | 17% | 10 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 69°FOctober average
- Normal low
- 52°FOctober average
- Precipitation
- 3.66 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Daylight
- 11 h 50 min to 10 h 40 minOctober 1 to October 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 15
- Days at 80°F or more
- 4
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013743; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Washington 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, 3.66 in falls on 8 days of a normal October, 1 of them with an inch or more.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013743.
How humid and windy is Washington in October?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 61°F with 50% relative humidity and a dew point of 42°F; at 6 a.m. it is 49°F with 77% humidity. The wind averages 8.4 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. | 49°F | 42°F | 77% | 7.2 mph | 40% |
| 9 a.m. | 53°F | 43°F | 69% | 9.1 mph | 32% |
| noon | 59°F | 43°F | 55% | 9.9 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 61°F | 42°F | 50% | 10.4 mph | 27% |
| 6 p.m. | 57°F | 42°F | 58% | 8.4 mph | 36% |
| 9 p.m. | 54°F | 43°F | 67% | 7.6 mph | 48% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013743. 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 Washington?
The warmest October temperature on Washington's official record (since 1871) is 98°F, on October 2, 2019; the coldest is 26°F, on October 30, 1873. The wettest October brought 9.41 in (2005); the snowiest, 2.2 inches (1925).
The October mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 60.8°F: 2021 66.3°F (+5.5), 2022 58.2°F (−2.6), 2023 63.1°F (+2.3), 2024 63.0°F (+2.2), 2025 60.3°F (−0.5). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| October | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 66.3°F | +5.5°F | 3.27 in |
| 2022 | 58.2°F | −2.6°F | 2.78 in |
| 2023 | 63.1°F | +2.3°F | 0.65 in |
| 2024 | 63.0°F | +2.2°F | 1.48 in |
| 2025 | 60.3°F | −0.5°F | 1.89 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record DCAthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013743. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does October in Washington compare across District of Columbia?
Across the 1 places PlainClimate covers in District of Columbia, October normal highs run from 69°F in Washington to 69°F in Washington; Washington's is 69°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.