Asheville weather in October

In October, Asheville sees average daytime highs of 66°F and overnight lows near 46°F, with 3.1 in of precipitation across 7.4 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 70°F in the first days to 62°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Asheville's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Asheville's year-round climate.

Daytime high
66°
6th warmest
Overnight low
46°
7th coldest
Precipitation
3.1 in
7.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:43 AM – 5:48 PM
Cloud cover
48%
1st clearest
Wind
5 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
3.77 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.5
out of 10

Asheville is county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
799/km²
people per km²
Founded
1797

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 70°F in the first days to 62°F by the end.

A typical October day in Asheville reaches about 66°F in the afternoon and slips back to 46°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 75°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 9°F cooler than September and about 10°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17052
27051
37051
46951
56950
66950
76949
86849
96849
106848
116748
126747
136747
146646
156646
166646
176545
186545
196544
206544
216444
226443
236443
246442
256342
266342
276242
286241
296241
306140
316140

How October really feels in Asheville

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

October sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Asheville weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan46° / 28°3.810.12.29.91.2
Feb49° / 31°3.39.32.210.72.1
Mar57° / 37°4.211.21.411.73.9
Apr65° / 45°3.710.10.312.95.9
May72° / 53°3.511.5013.96.4
Jun78° / 60°3.714014.46.0
Jul81° / 64°3.915.6014.25.6
Aug80° / 63°4.114.3013.35.9
Sep75° / 57°3.79.6012.26.9
Oct66° / 46°3.17.40.111.16.5
Nov56° / 36°3.38.10.410.14.0
Dec48° / 31°3.58.91.49.61.8

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in October, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35743
45743
55743
65743
75743
85743
95743
105743
115743
125743
135842
145842
155941
165941
176040
186139
196139
206139
216040
226040
236040
246040
256040
266040
275842
285842
295743
305743
315743

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Asheville gets around 3.1 in of rain and snow over 7.4 wet days in October, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 25% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
126
226
326
425
525
625
725
825
925
1025
1125
1225
1325
1425
1524
1624
1724
1824
1923
2023
2123
2223
2324
2424
2524
2624
2725
2825
2925
3026
3126

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 78% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15626144
25825134
35924134
46223123
56422113
66621103
76720103
8701992
9711982
10721882
11741772
12751762
13781651
14791551
15801541
16811441
17821431
18831331
19851230
20861220
21871120
22871120
23881020
24881020
25881020
2689920
2789920
2889920
2990820
3090820
3190820

Wind in October

Winds average 5 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:30 AM to 6:57 AM, and sunset from 6:09 PM to 5:31 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:306:09
211.66:316:07
311.66:326:06
411.56:326:04
511.56:336:03
611.56:346:01
711.46:356:00
811.46:365:58
911.36:375:57
1011.36:375:56
1111.36:385:54
1211.26:395:53
1311.26:405:52
1411.26:415:50
1511.16:425:49
1611.16:435:48
1711.06:445:46
1811.06:455:45
1911.06:465:44
2010.96:465:43
2110.96:475:42
2210.96:485:40
2310.86:495:39
2410.86:505:38
2510.86:515:37
2610.76:525:36
2710.76:535:35
2810.76:545:34
2910.66:555:33
3010.66:565:32
3110.66:575:31

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.77 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.29 kWh/m² to a high of 6.06 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.77 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.1Bright
34.1Bright
44.0Bright
54.0Bright
64.0Moderate
74.0Moderate
83.9Moderate
93.9Moderate
103.9Moderate
113.9Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.8Moderate
143.8Moderate
153.8Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.7Moderate
183.7Moderate
193.7Moderate
203.7Moderate
213.6Moderate
223.6Moderate
233.6Moderate
243.6Moderate
253.5Moderate
263.5Moderate
273.5Moderate
283.4Moderate
293.4Moderate
303.4Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Asheville?

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

6.5
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
2.7
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Asheville for sightseeing.

What to pack for Asheville in October

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

In October, Asheville sees daytime highs around 66°F and nights near 46°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Asheville in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Asheville peaks around July 12 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 12UV 10Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Asheville in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Asheville is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1618 µg/m³Dec 237 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Asheville?

Asheville sits at 35.6°N, 82.6°W, 2,129 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Greeneville, 42 mi away.

Topography around Asheville

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Asheville.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Asheville has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,165 ft around an average of 2,224 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,428 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,938 ft.

The land around Asheville is covered by trees (68%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 2 miles, trees (80%) within 10 miles, and trees (87%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,165 ft
10 miles
3,428 ft
50 miles
5,938 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Greeneville 42 mi · Taylors 49 mi · Greer 49 mi · Wade Hampton 50 mi · Morganton 50 mi · Johnson City 50 mi · Greenville 52 mi · Easley 53 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

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 Asheville (35.6009°, -82.554°, elevation 2,129 ft), 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).