Fort Smith, AR weather in October
Expect mild weather with some rain in Fort Smith in October, with highs near 76°F and lows near 51°F. Rain falls on about 8 days. Good for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 76°F
- Normal low
- 51°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 4.4 in total
- Muggy days
- 3
- dew point 65°F+
How October changes from start to finish
| October 1 | October 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 82°F | 70°F |
| Normal low | 57°F | 45°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 24% | 27% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:12 am / 7:01 pm | 7:38 am / 6:24 pm |
| Daylight | 11.8 h | 10.8 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Central Time).
A typical October day
- 6 am54°Fdew point 50°F
- 9 am61°Fdew point 52°F
- Noon70°Fdew point 51°F
- 3 pm73°Fdew point 50°F
- 6 pm68°Fdew point 51°F
- 9 pm61°Fdew point 52°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Ft Smith Rgnl Airport (4 mi away); average wind 6 mph; clear or few clouds in 64% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 30%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F14 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more3 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow8 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in5 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more0 of 31
Average days per October, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in October
Normal precipitation is 4.4 in; a dry October brings about 2.2 in and a wet one about 6.3 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring half an inch or more, and about 2 an inch or more.
How October varies from year to year
- Warmest October, 1991-20202016: average high 83°F
- Coolest October2009: average high 67°F
- Wettest October2009: 10.3 in
- Driest October2016: 0.4 in
- Highest reading96°F (October 15, 2015)
- Lowest reading24°F (October 31, 1993)
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 | 87°F | 76°F | 63°F |
| Normal low | 63°F | 51°F | 40°F |
| Wet days | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Comfortable days | 4 | 14 | 12 |
| Daylight | 12.4 h | 11.3 h | 10.3 h |
Highs change by -11°F from September and -13°F into November.
Nearby alternatives in October
- Cooler: Fayetteville, AR49 mi · high 71°F · 10 wet days
How Fort Smith ranks in October
- Normal high143rd warmest of 378 cities; 1st of 4 in Arkansas
- Wet days213th driest of 378
- Comfortable days96th most of 340
What to pack for Fort Smith in October
- Layers – afternoons near 76°F but nights near 51°F
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 8 days
Heating and cooling
October has 129 heating degree days and 81 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Fort Smith in October?
The normal high is 76°F and the normal low is 51°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest October reading was 96°F (October 15, 2015).
Does it rain a lot in Fort Smith in October?
About 8 days in October have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 4.4 in. The wettest October in 1991-2020 was in 2009 (10.3 in); the driest was in 2016 (0.4 in).
Is October a good time to visit Fort Smith?
October ranks 3rd of 12 months on our comfort score for Fort Smith (64 out of 100). It has about 14 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Ft Smith Rgnl Airport (USW00013964), 4.2 mi SSE of the city center, 449 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Fort Smith Regional Airport (723440-13964), 4.1 mi SSE of the city center, 448 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.