Bellingham weather in October

In October, Bellingham sees average daytime highs of 56°F and overnight lows near 48°F, with 6.4 in of rain across 14.7 wet days and about 10.5 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 59°F in the first days to 52°F 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 24 min at the start of October to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Bellingham's 6th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bellingham's year-round climate.

Daytime high
56°
6th warmest
Overnight low
48°
7th coldest
Rainfall
6.4 in
14.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 30 min
6:39 AM – 5:11 PM
Cloud cover
65%
6th clearest
Wind
6 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
2.26 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.3
out of 10

Bellingham is city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the State of Washington, United States.

Density
1,084/km²
people per km²
Founded
1852

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 59°F in the first days to 52°F by the end.

A typical October day in Bellingham reaches about 56°F in the afternoon and slips back to 48°F overnight — a 8°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 51°F and 61°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 8°F cooler than September and about 8°F warmer than November.

30°40°50°60°70°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16051
26051
35951
45950
55950
65850
75850
85849
95849
105749
115749
125749
135648
145648
155648
165648
175547
185547
195547
205547
215447
225446
235446
245346
255346
265346
275345
285345
295245
305245
315244

How October really feels in Bellingham

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.

Bellingham weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan44° / 38°8.418.63.28.50.6
Feb46° / 38°5.415.32.89.81.0
Mar49° / 40°6.718.91.911.61.5
Apr53° / 43°4.815.20.113.42.5
May57° / 48°3.411.30154.0
Jun61° / 53°2.59.4015.95.2
Jul66° / 57°1.35.1015.57.1
Aug67° / 58°1.85.3014.27.2
Sep64° / 54°3.29.1012.45.9
Oct56° / 48°6.414.7010.53.3
Nov48° / 41°9.518.81.191.4
Dec44° / 38°8.118.33.38.10.5

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 14% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 62%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25050
34852
44753
54654
64357
74258
84159
94060
103961
113664
123664
133664
143466
153466
163466
173466
183466
193466
203466
213565
223466
233466
243466
253466
263466
273466
283466
293466
303367
313367

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Bellingham gets around 6.4 in of rain over 14.7 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 47% and peaks near 54% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
134
234
335
437
538
639
740
841
943
1044
1145
1246
1348
1449
1549
1650
1751
1851
1951
2052
2152
2252
2352
2452
2553
2653
2753
2853
2954
3054
3154

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 97% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
18812
28911
3919
4928
5937
6946
7955
8964
9964
10973
11973
12982
13982
14982
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in October

Winds average 6 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of October to 9 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 102 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:16 AM to 7:03 AM, and sunset from 5:42 PM to 4:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.46:165:42
211.46:175:40
311.36:195:38
411.36:205:36
511.26:225:33
611.16:245:31
711.16:255:29
811.06:275:27
910.96:285:25
1010.96:305:23
1110.86:315:21
1210.86:335:19
1310.76:345:17
1410.76:365:15
1510.66:375:13
1610.56:395:11
1710.56:415:09
1810.46:425:07
1910.46:445:05
2010.36:455:03
2110.26:475:01
2210.26:495:00
2310.16:504:58
2410.16:524:56
2510.06:534:54
2610.06:554:52
279.96:574:51
289.86:584:49
299.87:004:47
309.77:014:46
319.77:034:44

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 2.26 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.84 kWh/m² to a high of 6.56 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 2.26 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.2Moderate
23.1Moderate
33.0Moderate
43.0Moderate
52.9Moderate
62.8Moderate
72.8Moderate
82.7Moderate
92.6Moderate
102.6Moderate
112.5Moderate
122.4Moderate
132.4Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.2Moderate
172.2Moderate
182.1Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.0Moderate
212.0Dim
221.9Dim
231.9Dim
241.9Dim
251.8Dim
261.8Dim
271.8Dim
281.7Dim
291.7Dim
301.7Dim
311.6Dim
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Bellingham

In seasonPeak

In October, Bellingham sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Bellingham's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Bellingham?

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

3.3
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Bellingham.

What to pack for Bellingham in October

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

In October, Bellingham sees daytime highs around 56°F and nights near 48°F. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer. About 15 days see rain.

rain geara warm layer

Sea temperature near Bellingham in October

The nearest coast averages about 52°F 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 19 mi away) is warmest in August at about 60°F and coldest in January near 45°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

45°50°55°60°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan45Bracing
Feb45Bracing
Mar46Bracing
Apr49Bracing
May53Bracing
Jun56Bracing
Jul59Cool
Aug60Cool
Sep57Bracing
Oct52Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec46Bracing

UV index in Bellingham in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bellingham peaks around July 17 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 17UV 8Dec 17UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr4Moderate
May7High
Jun6High
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Bellingham 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 Bellingham is worst in September — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1018 µg/m³Dec 176 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar12Good
Apr12Good
May12Good
Jun11Good
Jul11Good
Aug18Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bellingham?

Bellingham sits at 48.8°N, 122.5°W, 69 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Anacortes, 18 mi away.

Topography around Bellingham

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bellingham has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 666 ft around an average of 102 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,097 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 10,758 ft.

The land around Bellingham is covered by trees (39%), artificial surfaces (29%) and water (23%) within 2 miles, trees (49%) and water (26%) within 10 miles, and trees (51%) and water (32%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
666 ft
10 miles
3,097 ft
50 miles
10,758 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
October weather nearby: Anacortes 18 mi · Townline 22 mi · White Rock 23 mi · Abbotsford 23 mi · South Surrey 24 mi · Mount Vernon 24 mi · Langley 25 mi · Cloverdale 27 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 Bellingham (48.7595°, -122.4882°, elevation 69 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. 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. 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).