Big Sur weather in October

In October, Big Sur sees average daytime highs of 65°F and overnight lows near 53°F, with 0.9 in of rain across 2.4 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 66°F in the first days to 63°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% 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 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Big Sur's 5th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Big Sur's year-round climate.

Daytime high
65°
4th warmest
Overnight low
53°
9th coldest
Rainfall
0.9 in
2.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:20 AM – 5:24 PM
Cloud cover
26%
5th clearest
Wind
8 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.62 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.6
out of 10

Big Sur is region in Monterey County, California, United States.

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 66°F in the first days to 63°F by the end.

A typical October day in Big Sur reaches about 65°F in the afternoon and slips back to 53°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 58°F and 73°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 3°F cooler than September and about 5°F warmer than November.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16654
26654
36654
46654
56654
66654
76653
86653
96553
106553
116553
126553
136553
146553
156553
166553
176553
186553
196553
206452
216452
226452
236452
246452
256452
266351
276351
286351
296351
306251
316251

Big Sur weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 4th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan55° / 46°5.19.39.83.7
Feb55° / 46°4.89.310.63.6
Mar56° / 46°3.48.311.74.1
Apr57° / 47°1.75.712.94.7
May59° / 49°0.72.613.95.8
Jun63° / 51°0.10.414.47.4
Jul66° / 54°0.00.114.28.3
Aug67° / 55°0.10.313.48.5
Sep67° / 55°0.10.612.28.4
Oct65° / 53°0.92.411.17.6
Nov59° / 49°2.26.110.15.3
Dec55° / 46°4.59.29.63.8

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 18%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18812
28713
38614
48515
58515
68416
78416
88416
98317
108218
118218
128218
138119
148119
158119
168119
178218
188218
198218
208218
218218
228218
238218
248119
258119
268119
278020
287921
297822
307822
317624

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Big Sur gets around 0.9 in of rain over 2.4 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 8% and peaks near 14% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
14
24
34
45
55
65
76
86
96
106
116
126
136
146
157
167
177
187
198
208
219
229
239
2410
2510
2611
2711
2812
2913
3014
3114

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1946
2946
3955
4955
5955
6955
7955
8955
9955
10946
11946
12946
13946
14946
15946
16946
17946
18946
19946
20955
21955
22955
23964
24964
25973
26973
27973
28982
29982
30982
31982

Wind in October

Winds average 8 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
227light breeze
237light breeze
247light breeze
257light breeze
267light breeze
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:07 AM to 6:35 AM, and sunset from 5:45 PM to 5:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:075:45
211.66:085:44
311.66:095:42
411.56:105:41
511.56:115:39
611.46:115:38
711.46:125:36
811.46:135:35
911.36:145:34
1011.36:155:32
1111.26:165:31
1211.26:175:29
1311.26:185:28
1411.16:195:27
1511.16:205:25
1611.16:205:24
1711.06:215:23
1811.06:225:21
1910.96:235:20
2010.96:245:19
2110.96:255:18
2210.86:265:16
2310.86:275:15
2410.86:285:14
2510.76:295:13
2610.76:305:12
2710.76:315:11
2810.66:325:10
2910.66:335:09
3010.66:345:08
3110.56:355:07

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.62 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.59 kWh/m² to a high of 8.18 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 4.62 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.1Bright
75.1Bright
85.0Bright
95.0Bright
104.9Bright
114.9Bright
124.8Bright
134.8Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.6Bright
174.6Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.3Bright
234.3Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.0Bright
294.0Moderate
303.9Moderate
313.9Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Big Sur

In seasonPeak

None of Big Sur's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Big Sur's rainy season runs December–March, 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 Big Sur?

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

7.6
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
2.6
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

October is one of the better times to visit Big Sur for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Big Sur in October

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

In October, Big Sur sees daytime highs around 65°F and nights near 53°F. Worth packing: sun protection.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Big Sur in October

The nearest coast averages about 58°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 8 mi away) is warmest in September at about 59°F and coldest in April near 54°F.

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

52°54°56°58°60°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan55Bracing
Feb55Bracing
Mar55Bracing
Apr54Bracing
May54Bracing
Jun55Bracing
Jul57Bracing
Aug58Bracing
Sep59Bracing
Oct58Bracing
Nov57Bracing
Dec56Bracing

UV index in Big Sur 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 Big Sur peaks around June 22 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 12 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 11Dec 12UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep7High
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Big Sur 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 Big Sur is worst in September — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 7.0× the cleanest month (December, 4 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1027 µg/m³Dec 174 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan4Good
Feb5Good
Mar5Good
Apr5Good
May5Good
Jun5Good
Jul16Moderate
Aug25Moderate
Sep27Moderate
Oct6Good
Nov4Good
Dec4Good
Location & terrain

Where is Big Sur?

Big Sur sits at 36.3°N, 121.8°W, 0 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Monterey, 24 mi away.

Topography around Big Sur

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Big Sur has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,455 ft around an average of 1,145 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,918 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,758 ft.

The land around Big Sur is covered by trees (77%) within 2 miles, water (45%) and trees (43%) within 10 miles, and water (40%), grassland (27%) and trees (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
3,455 ft
10 miles
4,918 ft
50 miles
5,758 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
October weather nearby: Monterey 24 mi · Seaside 24 mi · Pacific Grove 25 mi · Marina 29 mi · Soledad 29 mi · Salinas 29 mi · Greenfield 32 mi · Prunedale 36 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 Big Sur (36.2702°, -121.8075°, elevation 0 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).