Fort Smith weather in October

In October, Fort Smith sees average daytime highs of 73°F and overnight lows near 52°F, with 4.2 in of rain across 9 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 78°F in the first days to 67°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% 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 Fort Smith's 2nd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Fort Smith's year-round climate.

Daytime high
73°
6th warmest
Overnight low
52°
7th coldest
Rainfall
4.2 in
9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:30 AM – 5:35 PM
Cloud cover
43%
2nd clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
3.8 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Fort Smith is city in and county seat of Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States.

Density
500/km²
people per km²
Founded
1817

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 78°F in the first days to 67°F by the end.

A typical October day in Fort Smith reaches about 73°F in the afternoon and slips back to 52°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 61°F and 83°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 11°F cooler than September and about 12°F warmer than November.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17957
27857
37857
47856
57756
67756
77655
87655
97555
107554
117454
127453
137453
147353
157352
167352
177252
187251
197151
207151
217050
227050
237050
246949
256949
266849
276848
286748
296748
306647
316647

How October really feels in Fort Smith

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.

Fort Smith 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
Jan49° / 31°3.38.91.19.92.1
Feb54° / 35°3.38.40.910.73.3
Mar62° / 43°4.911.30.711.75.3
Apr71° / 51°5.911.3012.96.4
May78° / 60°5.812.9013.86.3
Jun86° / 69°3.610.4014.34.9
Jul91° / 72°3.18.8014.13.8
Aug91° / 71°2.58.3013.34.0
Sep83° / 64°3.77.4012.26.2
Oct73° / 52°4.29011.17.1
Nov60° / 42°4.38.70.210.15.2
Dec51° / 34°3.88.90.99.72.6

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17129
27228
37129
47030
57030
66931
76832
86832
96733
106634
116634
126535
136535
146436
156337
166337
176238
186238
196238
206139
216139
226040
235941
245842
255743
265644
275644
285545
295545
305446
315545

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Fort Smith gets around 4.2 in of rain over 9 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 28% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
120
221
321
421
522
623
723
824
925
1026
1126
1227
1327
1428
1528
1629
1729
1830
1931
2031
2132
2232
2333
2433
2534
2634
2734
2834
2934
3034
3133

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 64% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 7% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1481916153
2491916142
3511915132
4511915132
5531914122
6551914111
7551914111
8571913101
958191391
1058191391
1160191281
1261191271
1363191260
1464181260
1565181250
1665181250
1767181140
1867181140
1968171140
2068171140
2170161130
2270161130
2371151130
2471151130
2572141130
2672141130
2773131130
2875121120
2975121120
3076111120
3178101020

Wind in October

Winds average 6 mph in October.

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

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
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 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 6:17 AM to 6:44 AM, and sunset from 5:56 PM to 5:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:175:56
211.66:185:55
311.66:195:53
411.56:205:52
511.56:205:50
611.56:215:49
711.46:225:47
811.46:235:46
911.36:245:45
1011.36:255:43
1111.36:265:42
1211.26:265:41
1311.26:275:39
1411.26:285:38
1511.16:295:37
1611.16:305:35
1711.16:315:34
1811.06:325:33
1911.06:335:32
2010.96:345:30
2110.96:345:29
2210.96:355:28
2310.86:365:27
2410.86:375:26
2510.86:385:25
2610.76:395:23
2710.76:405:22
2810.76:415:21
2910.66:425:20
3010.66:435:19
3110.66:445:18

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.8 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.27 kWh/m² to a high of 6.58 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 3.8 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.4Bright
54.4Bright
64.3Bright
74.3Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.1Bright
114.1Bright
124.0Bright
134.0Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.7Moderate
193.7Moderate
203.6Moderate
213.6Moderate
223.5Moderate
233.5Moderate
243.4Moderate
253.4Moderate
263.3Moderate
273.3Moderate
283.2Moderate
293.2Moderate
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Fort Smith?

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

7.1
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is one of the better times to visit Fort Smith for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Fort Smith in October

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

In October, Fort Smith sees daytime highs around 73°F and nights near 52°F. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

UV index in Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith peaks around June 23 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 highHighModerateJun 23UV 10Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodJul 1519 µg/m³Dec 137 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb12Good
Mar15Moderate
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Fort Smith?

Fort Smith sits at 35.4°N, 94.4°W, 440 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Van Buren, 4.3 mi away.

Topography around Fort Smith

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Fort Smith has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 256 ft around an average of 472 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 745 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,411 ft.

The land around Fort Smith is covered by trees (47%) and artificial surfaces (36%) within 2 miles, trees (48%) and grassland (25%) within 10 miles, and trees (67%) and grassland (27%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
256 ft
10 miles
745 ft
50 miles
2,411 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Van Buren 4.3 mi · Tahlequah 48 mi · Fayetteville 48 mi · Siloam Springs 56 mi · Springdale 57 mi · Muskogee 60 mi · Rogers 67 mi · Bentonville 69 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 Fort Smith (35.3859°, -94.3986°, elevation 440 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).