Skien weather in October

In October, Skien sees average daytime highs of 9°C and overnight lows near 4°C, with 108 mm of precipitation across 12.6 wet days and about 9.8 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 12°C in the first days to 7°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 12 min at the start of October to 8 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Skien's 10th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Skien's year-round climate.

Daytime high
7th warmest
Overnight low
7th coldest
Precipitation
108 mm
12.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 48 min
7:12 AM – 5:01 PM
Cloud cover
68%
10th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
1.25 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.9
out of 10

Skien is town/city in Skien Municipality, Norway.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 7.5 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
1,896/km²
people per km²
Founded
1358

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 12°C in the first days to 7°C by the end.

A typical October day in Skien reaches about 9°C in the afternoon and slips back to 4°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 5°C and 13°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 6°C cooler than September and about 5°C warmer than November.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1126
2126
3125
4125
5125
6115
7115
8115
9114
10114
11104
12104
13104
14104
1593
1693
1793
1893
1993
2083
2183
2283
2383
2482
2582
2682
2772
2872
2972
3072
3172

How October really feels in Skien

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 11 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
11
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Skien weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 7th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-0° / -5°9612.110.66.60.0
Feb / -5°649.38.68.80.0
Mar / -3°659.16.911.30.2
Apr10° / 619.63.614.12.1
May15° / 7710.70.616.64.4
Jun18° / 9612.1018.15.6
Jul20° / 12°10212.5017.55.9
Aug19° / 11°11113.3015.25.7
Sep15° / 10311.9012.64.3
Oct / 10812.61.49.81.9
Nov / -0°109135.47.30.1
Dec / -4°8612.38.25.90.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13961
24060
34060
44060
54060
63961
74060
84060
93961
103961
113961
123862
133862
143763
153763
163763
173565
183565
193565
203466
213367
223367
233367
243268
253367
263367
273367
283367
293367
303367
313367

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Skien gets around 108 mm of rain and snow over 12.6 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 40% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1390
2390
3390
4390
5380
6381
7381
8371
9372
10362
11363
12363
13364
14364
15375
16375
17385
18396
19406
20416
21427
22437
23437
24448
25458
26458
27468
28469
29469
30469
314610

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in October

Winds average 10 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 min at the start of October to 8 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 162 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:36 AM to 7:49 AM, and sunset from 5:46 PM to 4:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.26:365:46
211.16:385:42
311.06:405:39
410.96:435:36
510.86:455:33
610.76:485:30
710.66:505:28
810.56:525:25
910.46:555:22
1010.46:575:19
1110.37:005:16
1210.27:025:13
1310.17:045:10
1410.07:075:07
159.97:095:04
169.87:125:01
179.77:144:59
189.67:174:56
199.67:194:53
209.57:224:50
219.47:244:47
229.37:274:45
239.27:294:42
249.17:324:39
259.07:344:37
269.07:374:34
278.97:394:31
288.87:424:29
298.77:444:26
308.67:474:23
318.57:494:21

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 1.25 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.23 kWh/m² to a high of 5.73 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 1.25 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.8Dim
21.8Dim
31.8Dim
41.7Dim
51.7Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.5Dim
101.5Dim
111.4Dim
121.4Dim
131.4Dim
141.3Dim
151.3Dim
161.2Dim
171.2Dim
181.2Dim
191.1Dim
201.1Dim
211.1Dim
221.0Dim
231.0Dim
241.0Dim
250.9Dim
260.9Dim
270.9Dim
280.8Dim
290.8Dim
300.8Dim
310.8Dim
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Skien?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

1.9
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Skien.

What to pack for Skien in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Skien sees daytime highs around 9°C and nights near 4°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Skien in October

The nearest coast averages about 12°C in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 37 km away) is warmest in August at about 18°C and coldest in February near 3°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

0°5°10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan5Bracing
Feb3Bracing
Mar4Bracing
Apr6Bracing
May11Bracing
Jun15Bracing
Jul17Cool
Aug18Cool
Sep15Cool
Oct12Bracing
Nov9Bracing
Dec6Bracing

UV index in Skien in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Skien peaks around July 20 at about 5 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 4 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJul 20UV 5Dec 19UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Low
Apr3Moderate
May4Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep3Moderate
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Skien?

Skien sits at 59.2°N, 9.6°E, 27 m above sea level, in Norway. The nearest listed city is Porsgrunn, 8.0 km away.

Topography around Skien

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Skien.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Skien has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 300 m around an average of 52 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 635 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,422 m.

The land around Skien is covered by trees (41%) and grassland (20%) within 3 km, trees (77%) within 16 km, and trees (61%) and water (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
300 m
16 km
635 m
80 km
1,422 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
October weather nearby: Porsgrunn 8.0 km · Larvik 30 km · Sandefjord 36 km · Tønsberg 46 km · Kongsberg 51 km · Horten 55 km · Moss 65 km · Drammen 68 km

Norway travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 91% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$94,594
2025
Happiness
7.2 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
2.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 613
Religion
Church of Norway 68%other Christian 4%Muslim 3%Roman Catholic 3%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Skien (59.2096°, 9.609°, elevation 27 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).