Bristol weather in October

In October, Bristol sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 47°F, with 2.8 in of precipitation across 8.9 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 72°F in the first days to 63°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% 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 Bristol's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bristol's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
6th warmest
Overnight low
47°
7th coldest
Precipitation
2.8 in
8.9 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:42 AM – 5:45 PM
Cloud cover
49%
1st clearest
Wind
5 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
3.64 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.5
out of 10

Bristol is independent city in Virginia, United States.

Density
503/km²
people per km²
Founded
1856

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 72°F in the first days to 63°F by the end.

A typical October day in Bristol reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 47°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 56°F and 77°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 10°F cooler than September and about 11°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17353
27253
37252
47252
57151
67151
77151
87050
97050
106949
116949
126949
136848
146848
156747
166747
176747
186646
196646
206645
216545
226545
236544
246444
256444
266443
276343
286343
296342
306242
316242

How October really feels in Bristol

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.

Bristol weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan46° / 29°4.012.43.99.81.1
Feb49° / 32°3.711.63.510.61.9
Mar57° / 38°4.5132.311.73.9
Apr67° / 46°3.911.90.512.95.8
May73° / 54°3.612.8013.96.3
Jun80° / 62°3.213.2014.56.1
Jul83° / 66°3.313.5014.25.5
Aug82° / 65°2.810.4013.46.3
Sep77° / 58°3.08.3012.27.1
Oct67° / 47°2.88.90.211.16.5
Nov56° / 37°3.29.70.6104.0
Dec48° / 32°4.011.72.89.51.8

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in October, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 43%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25941
35842
45941
55842
65842
75842
85842
95743
105743
115743
125743
135743
145743
155743
165743
175743
185842
195743
205743
215743
225644
235644
245644
255644
265446
275446
285446
295446
305248
315248

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Bristol gets around 2.8 in of rain and snow over 8.9 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 29% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1260
2260
3260
4260
5260
6260
7270
8270
9270
10280
11280
12280
13290
14290
15290
16290
17290
18290
19290
20300
21301
22301
23311
24311
25311
26321
27321
28321
29332
30332
31332

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 77% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15524165
25823154
36022144
46221134
56321124
66521113
76720103
8682093
9682093
10702082
11721972
12731962
13741862
14751852
15781741
16791641
17801631
18811531
19831430
20851320
21851320
22861220
23861220
24871120
25871120
26881020
27881020
2889920
2989920
3089920
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
84calm
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 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 6:29 AM to 6:57 AM, and sunset from 6:07 PM to 5:27 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:296:07
211.66:306:05
311.66:316:04
411.56:316:02
511.56:326:01
611.46:335:59
711.46:345:58
811.46:355:56
911.36:365:55
1011.36:375:53
1111.26:385:52
1211.26:395:51
1311.26:405:49
1411.16:405:48
1511.16:415:47
1611.06:425:45
1711.06:435:44
1811.06:445:43
1910.96:455:41
2010.96:465:40
2110.96:475:39
2210.86:485:38
2310.86:495:36
2410.86:505:35
2510.76:515:34
2610.76:525:33
2710.66:535:32
2810.66:545:31
2910.66:555:30
3010.56:565:29
3110.56:575:27

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.64 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.09 kWh/m² to a high of 6.06 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.64 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
103.8Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.7Moderate
143.7Moderate
153.7Moderate
163.6Moderate
173.6Moderate
183.6Moderate
193.5Moderate
203.5Moderate
213.5Moderate
223.4Moderate
233.4Moderate
243.3Moderate
253.3Moderate
263.3Moderate
273.2Moderate
283.2Moderate
293.2Moderate
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Bristol?

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
3.2
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Bristol for sightseeing.

What to pack for Bristol in October

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

In October, Bristol sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 47°F. Worth packing: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

rain gear

UV index in Bristol 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 Bristol peaks around July 13 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 highVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 10Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Bristol 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 Bristol is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1517 µg/m³Dec 196 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar9Good
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bristol?

Bristol sits at 36.6°N, 82.2°W, 1,680 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Bristol, 0.0 mi away.

Topography around Bristol

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bristol has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 594 ft around an average of 1,772 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,411 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,476 ft.

The land around Bristol is covered by trees (55%), artificial surfaces (23%) and grassland (22%) within 2 miles, trees (60%) and grassland (33%) within 10 miles, and trees (80%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
594 ft
10 miles
1,411 ft
50 miles
5,476 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Bristol 0.0 mi · Kingsport 21 mi · Johnson City 22 mi · Boone 39 mi · Greeneville 47 mi · Lenoir 60 mi · Morganton 65 mi · Morristown 67 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 Bristol (36.5965°, -82.1885°, elevation 1,680 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).