Gainesville weather in October

In October, Gainesville sees average daytime highs of 81°F and overnight lows near 63°F, with 2.2 in of rain across 7.7 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 84°F in the first days to 78°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in October, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Gainesville's 4th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gainesville's year-round climate.

Daytime high
81°
6th warmest
Overnight low
63°
7th coldest
Rainfall
2.2 in
7.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:36 AM – 5:52 PM
Cloud cover
51%
4th clearest
Wind
6 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
4.06 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Gainesville is city and county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States.

Density
899/km²
people per km²
Founded
1853

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 84°F in the first days to 78°F by the end.

A typical October day in Gainesville reaches about 81°F in the afternoon and slips back to 63°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 74°F and 87°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 6°F cooler than September and about 7°F warmer than November.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18568
28468
38467
48467
58467
68467
78366
88366
98366
108365
118365
128264
138264
148264
158263
168263
178162
188162
198162
208161
218061
228061
238060
248060
257960
267959
277959
287959
297858
307858
317858

How October really feels in Gainesville

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.

Gainesville 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan66° / 45°2.97.710.36.6
Feb69° / 48°2.56.910.96.9
Mar75° / 53°3.17.411.87.4
Apr80° / 58°2.26.612.77.0
May86° / 65°2.88.913.55.2
Jun89° / 72°5.318.613.93.3
Jul90° / 74°5.420.613.72.9
Aug90° / 74°5.821.413.12.9
Sep87° / 71°4.214.612.24.1
Oct81° / 63°2.27.711.36.7
Nov74° / 53°1.65.310.57.7
Dec68° / 48°2.46.710.16.9

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34753
44852
55050
65050
75248
85248
95347
105446
115545
125743
135842
145941
156040
166139
176238
186238
196337
206337
216337
226337
236337
246337
256337
266337
276337
286238
296238
306238
316238

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Gainesville gets around 2.2 in of rain over 7.7 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 25% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
238
337
436
535
634
733
832
931
1030
1129
1227
1326
1424
1523
1622
1721
1820
1920
2019
2119
2218
2318
2418
2518
2618
2718
2818
2918
3018
3118

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the muggy band about 27% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 48% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1671428442
2671528422
3771529402
4781629382
5891629362
6891730342
79101730322
810101830302
910111930292
1011121930271
1112121930251
1214131929241
1315142029221
1416142029201
1517152029191
1619152028171
1720162128160
1821162127150
1922172126130
2023172126120
2124172125120
2225182125110
2326182025100
2427192024100
252819202490
262919202390
273019202380
283119202280
293219192280
303319192170
313419192070

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 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:27 AM to 6:47 AM, and sunset from 6:10 PM to 5:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:276:10
211.76:276:09
311.76:286:07
411.66:296:06
511.66:296:05
611.66:306:04
711.56:306:03
811.56:316:01
911.56:326:00
1011.46:325:59
1111.46:335:58
1211.46:345:57
1311.46:345:56
1411.36:355:55
1511.36:365:54
1611.36:365:52
1711.26:375:51
1811.26:385:50
1911.26:385:49
2011.26:395:48
2111.16:405:47
2211.16:405:46
2311.16:415:45
2411.06:425:45
2511.06:435:44
2611.06:435:43
2711.06:445:42
2810.96:455:41
2910.96:465:40
3010.96:465:39
3110.96:475:39

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.06 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.86 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in May across the year — October's 4.06 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.1Bright
104.1Bright
114.1Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.1Bright
214.1Bright
224.0Bright
234.0Bright
244.0Bright
254.0Moderate
264.0Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.8Moderate
313.8Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Gainesville

In seasonPeak

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

Gainesville's rainy season runs May–September, 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 Gainesville?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Gainesville for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Gainesville in October

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

In October, Gainesville sees daytime highs around 81°F and nights near 63°F. Pack light clothes. About 8 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Gainesville in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gainesville peaks around June 23 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 11Dec 20UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb6High
Mar8Very high
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct7High
Nov5Moderate
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Gainesville 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 Gainesville is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJul 1619 µg/m³Dec 108 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb17Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr18Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Gainesville?

Gainesville sits at 29.7°N, 82.3°W, 177 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ocala, 34 mi away.

Topography around Gainesville

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Gainesville has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 187 ft around an average of 164 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 223 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 299 ft.

The land around Gainesville is covered by trees (66%) and artificial surfaces (28%) within 2 miles, trees (77%) within 10 miles, and trees (74%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
187 ft
10 miles
223 ft
50 miles
299 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
October weather nearby: Ocala 34 mi · Marion Oaks 45 mi · Oakleaf Plantation 47 mi · Lakeside 47 mi · Fleming Island 47 mi · Fruit Cove 52 mi · The Villages 54 mi · St. Johns 55 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 Gainesville (29.6516°, -82.3248°, elevation 177 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).