Gloucester weather in October

In October, Gloucester sees average daytime highs of 57°F and overnight lows near 51°F, with 5.2 in of precipitation across 10.5 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 61°F in the first days to 54°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of October to 10 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Gloucester's 3rd-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gloucester's year-round climate.

Daytime high
57°
5th warmest
Overnight low
51°
8th coldest
Precipitation
5.2 in
10.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:03 AM – 4:52 PM
Cloud cover
54%
3rd clearest
Wind
13 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
2.97 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

Gloucester is city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States.

Density
277/km²
people per km²
Founded
1623

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 61°F in the first days to 54°F by the end.

A typical October day in Gloucester reaches about 57°F in the afternoon and slips back to 51°F overnight — a 6°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 51°F and 64°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)
16256
26156
36155
46155
56155
66054
76054
86054
95953
105953
115953
125952
135852
145852
155851
165751
175751
185751
195650
205650
215650
225649
235549
245549
255548
265548
275448
285447
295447
305347
315346

How October really feels in Gloucester

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.

Gloucester weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan36° / 26°4.310.75.89.20.0
Feb37° / 27°3.89.5510.30.0
Mar40° / 32°5.211.54.411.60.1
Apr47° / 41°4.811.21.113.11.5
May55° / 49°3.910.8014.43.6
Jun64° / 59°3.79.5015.15.8
Jul70° / 65°2.78.6014.86.8
Aug70° / 65°3.27.9013.76.9
Sep65° / 60°3.88.2012.36.3
Oct57° / 51°5.210.50.110.84.2
Nov49° / 42°4.610.40.69.62.0
Dec41° / 33°5.411.43.88.90.2

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% 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 45%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35743
45743
55743
65743
75842
85842
95842
105842
115842
125743
135743
145644
155644
165644
175644
185545
195545
205545
215545
225545
235446
245446
255446
265248
275248
285248
295248
305248
315248

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Gloucester gets around 5.2 in of rain and snow over 10.5 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 34% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
132
232
332
433
533
633
733
833
933
1033
1133
1234
1334
1434
1534
1634
1734
1834
1934
2034
2135
2235
2335
2435
2535
2635
2735
2834
2934
3034
3134

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 84% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
16227101
2642691
3662491
4682381
5712171
6732061
7751960
8781750
9791650
10811540
11821440
12831340
13851230
14861130
15871030
1689920
1789920
1890820
1990820
2091810
2192710
2292710
2392710
2493610
2593610
2693610
2794510
2895500
2996400
3096400
3196400

Wind in October

Winds average 13 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 12 mph on the calmest days to 14 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
112light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612breezy
712breezy
813breezy
913breezy
1013breezy
1113breezy
1213breezy
1313breezy
1413breezy
1513breezy
1613breezy
1713breezy
1813breezy
1913breezy
2013breezy
2113breezy
2214breezy
2314breezy
2414breezy
2514breezy
2614breezy
2714breezy
2814breezy
2914breezy
3014breezy
3114breezy

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of October to 10 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 84 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:45 AM to 6:22 AM, and sunset from 5:18 PM to 4:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.55:455:18
211.55:465:16
311.45:485:14
411.45:495:13
511.35:505:11
611.35:515:09
711.25:525:07
811.25:545:06
911.25:555:04
1011.15:565:02
1111.15:575:00
1211.05:584:59
1311.05:594:57
1410.96:014:55
1510.96:024:54
1610.86:034:52
1710.86:044:51
1810.76:064:49
1910.76:074:48
2010.66:084:46
2110.66:094:44
2210.56:114:43
2310.56:124:41
2410.46:134:40
2510.46:144:39
2610.46:164:37
2710.36:174:36
2810.36:184:34
2910.26:194:33
3010.26:214:32
3110.16:224:30

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 2.97 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.54 kWh/m² to a high of 6.09 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 2.97 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.5Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.4Moderate
53.4Moderate
63.4Moderate
73.3Moderate
83.3Moderate
93.2Moderate
103.2Moderate
113.2Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.1Moderate
143.0Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
172.9Moderate
182.9Moderate
192.9Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.7Moderate
252.6Moderate
262.6Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.5Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Gloucester

In seasonPeak

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

Gloucester sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Gloucester?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
0.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Gloucester for sightseeing.

What to pack for Gloucester in October

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

In October, Gloucester sees daytime highs around 57°F and nights near 51°F. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and a windbreaker. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Gloucester in October

The nearest coast averages about 56°F in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 65°F and coldest in March near 39°F.

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

40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan42Bracing
Feb39Bracing
Mar39Bracing
Apr42Bracing
May49Bracing
Jun58Bracing
Jul64Cool
Aug65Cool
Sep62Cool
Oct56Bracing
Nov50Bracing
Dec46Bracing

UV index in Gloucester in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gloucester peaks around July 10 at about 7 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighHighModerateLowJul 10UV 7Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7High
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Gloucester?

Gloucester sits at 42.6°N, 70.7°W, 52 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Beverly Cove, 11 mi away.

Topography around Gloucester

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Gloucester has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 240 ft around an average of 56 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 272 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,230 ft.

The land around Gloucester is covered by trees (45%) and water (31%) within 2 miles, water (74%) within 10 miles, and trees (47%) and water (45%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
240 ft
10 miles
272 ft
50 miles
1,230 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
October weather nearby: Beverly Cove 11 mi · Beverly 12 mi · Marblehead 12 mi · Salem 14 mi · Danvers 14 mi · Peabody 15 mi · South Peabody 16 mi · Newburyport 17 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 Gloucester (42.614°, -70.6631°, elevation 52 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).