San Francisco, CA weather in October
Expect mild, mostly dry weather in San Francisco in October, with highs near 70°F and lows near 54°F. Rain falls on about 4 days. It is one of the warmest months in San Francisco. Great for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 70°F
- Normal low
- 54°F
- Wet days
- 4
- 0.9 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How October changes from start to finish
| October 1 | October 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 71°F | 68°F |
| Normal low | 55°F | 53°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 8% | 17% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:05 am / 6:53 pm | 7:34 am / 6:12 pm |
| Daylight | 11.8 h | 10.6 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Pacific Time).
A typical October day
- 6 am56°Fdew point 50°F
- 9 am62°Fdew point 52°F
- Noon67°Fdew point 51°F
- 3 pm69°Fdew point 50°F
- 6 pm62°Fdew point 50°F
- 9 pm60°Fdew point 50°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from San Francisco Intl Airport (11 mi away); average wind 9 mph; clear or few clouds in 54% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 29%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F18 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph4 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow4 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in2 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per October, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in October
Normal precipitation is 0.9 in; a dry October brings about 0.2 in and a wet one about 1.4 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more.
How October varies from year to year
- Warmest October, 1991-20201992: average high 76°F
- Coolest October2000: average high 65°F
- Wettest October2009: 3.1 in
- Driest October2013: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading99°F (October 8, 1996)
- Lowest reading47°F (October 20, 2013)
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 | 70°F | 70°F | 64°F |
| Normal low | 56°F | 54°F | 51°F |
| Wet days | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 19 | 18 | 12 |
| Daylight | 12.4 h | 11.2 h | 10.2 h |
Highs change by 0°F from September and -6°F into November.
Nearby alternatives in October
- Warmer: Vallejo, CA24 mi · high 78°F · 3 wet days
- Cooler: South Lake Tahoe, CA154 mi · high 62°F · 4 wet days
How San Francisco ranks in October
- Normal high200th warmest of 378 cities; 56th of 60 in California
- Wet days67th driest of 378
- Comfortable days20th most of 340
Heating and cooling
October has 123 heating degree days and 33 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is San Francisco in October?
The normal high is 70°F and the normal low is 54°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest October reading was 99°F (October 8, 1996).
Does it rain a lot in San Francisco in October?
About 4 days in October have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.9 in. The wettest October in 1991-2020 was in 2009 (3.1 in); the driest was in 2013, with no measurable precipitation.
Is October a good time to visit San Francisco?
October ranks 5th of 12 months on our comfort score for San Francisco (72 out of 100). It has about 18 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best months are July and August.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain and frost dates: San Francisco Downtown (USW00023272), 0.5 mi SW of the city center, 150 ft (95 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: San Francisco Oceanside (USC00047767), 5.7 mi SW of the city center, 8 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: San Francisco Intl Airport (USW00023234), 11 mi SSE of the city center, 8 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: San Francisco International Airport (724940-23234), 11 mi SSE of the city center, 10 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.