Harrisburg weather in October

In October, Harrisburg sees average daytime highs of 64°F and overnight lows near 47°F, with 3.5 in of precipitation across 8.3 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 70°F in the first days to 59°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% 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 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Harrisburg's 1st-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Harrisburg's year-round climate.

Daytime high
64°
6th warmest
Overnight low
47°
7th coldest
Precipitation
3.5 in
8.3 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:25 AM – 5:20 PM
Cloud cover
55%
1st clearest
Wind
6 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
3.13 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Harrisburg is capital city of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and seat of Dauphin County.

Density
1,633/km²
people per km²
Founded
1719

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 70°F in the first days to 59°F by the end.

A typical October day in Harrisburg reaches about 64°F in the afternoon and slips back to 47°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 76°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 12°F cooler than September and about 12°F warmer than November.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17053
27053
37052
46952
56951
66851
76851
86850
96750
106749
116649
126649
136648
146548
156548
166447
176447
186446
196346
206346
216246
226245
236145
246144
256144
266044
276043
286043
295943
305942
315842

How October really feels in Harrisburg

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.

Harrisburg weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 25°3.394.59.50.0
Feb41° / 26°2.88.94.210.40.2
Mar50° / 33°3.810.63.211.72.3
Apr63° / 44°3.610.60.3135.2
May72° / 53°3.512014.26.3
Jun81° / 63°3.411014.86.1
Jul85° / 68°3.610.3014.65.2
Aug83° / 66°3.19.6013.65.9
Sep76° / 59°4.39012.36.9
Oct64° / 47°3.58.30.110.95.9
Nov53° / 37°3.18.20.79.83.0
Dec43° / 30°3.59.22.99.20.4

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% 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 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25248
35347
45347
55347
65347
75347
85347
95347
105347
115347
125248
135248
145149
155149
165050
175050
184951
194951
204951
214951
224852
234852
244852
254852
264852
274951
284951
294951
304951
314852

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Harrisburg gets around 3.5 in of rain and snow over 8.3 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 28% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
230
330
429
529
628
727
827
927
1026
1126
1227
1327
1427
1527
1627
1727
1828
1928
2028
2128
2228
2328
2428
2528
2628
2727
2827
2926
3026
3126

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 82% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
16417145
26417145
36616135
46816124
57015114
67115104
77215103
8741493
9751483
10761473
11781372
12791362
13801352
14811252
15831241
16841231
17851131
18861121
19871021
20881020
21881020
2289920
2389920
2491810
2591810
2692710
2792710
2893610
2993610
3093610
3194510

Wind in October

Winds average 6 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 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
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
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 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 78 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:09 AM to 6:42 AM, and sunset from 5:44 PM to 5:00 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:095:44
211.56:105:42
311.56:115:41
411.46:125:39
511.46:135:37
611.46:145:36
711.36:155:34
811.36:165:32
911.26:185:31
1011.26:195:29
1111.16:205:28
1211.16:215:26
1311.06:225:24
1411.06:235:23
1511.06:245:21
1610.96:255:20
1710.96:265:18
1810.86:275:17
1910.86:295:16
2010.76:305:14
2110.76:315:13
2210.76:325:11
2310.66:335:10
2410.66:345:09
2510.56:355:07
2610.56:375:06
2710.56:385:05
2810.46:395:03
2910.46:405:02
3010.36:415:01
3110.36:425:00

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.13 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.73 kWh/m² to a high of 6.06 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.13 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.6Moderate
23.6Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.5Moderate
63.5Moderate
73.4Moderate
83.4Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.8Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.7Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Harrisburg

In seasonPeak

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

Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
2.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Harrisburg for sightseeing.

What to pack for Harrisburg in October

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

In October, Harrisburg sees daytime highs around 64°F and nights near 47°F. Worth packing: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

rain gear

UV index in Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg peaks around June 22 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 22UV 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1316 µg/m³Nov 118 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Harrisburg?

Harrisburg sits at 40.3°N, 76.9°W, 331 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Carlisle, 17 mi away.

Topography around Harrisburg

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Harrisburg has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 335 ft around an average of 367 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,260 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,300 ft.

The land around Harrisburg is covered by artificial surfaces (39%), trees (32%) and water (21%) within 2 miles, trees (59%) within 10 miles, and trees (58%) and cropland (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
335 ft
10 miles
1,260 ft
50 miles
2,300 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Carlisle 17 mi · York 23 mi · Lebanon 25 mi · Hanover 33 mi · Lancaster 35 mi · Chambersburg 47 mi · Westminster 48 mi · Reading 50 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 Harrisburg (40.2737°, -76.8844°, elevation 331 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). 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).