Lake Tahoe weather in October

In October, Lake Tahoe sees average daytime highs of 61°F and overnight lows near 38°F, with 1.7 in of precipitation across 4.8 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 66°F in the first days to 55°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% 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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Lake Tahoe's 5th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lake Tahoe's year-round climate.

Daytime high
61°
5th warmest
Overnight low
38°
8th coldest
Precipitation
1.7 in
4.8 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:16 AM – 5:14 PM
Cloud cover
32%
5th clearest
Wind
4 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.44 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Lake Tahoe is city in El Dorado County, California, United States.

Density
505/km²
people per km²
Founded
1965

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 66°F in the first days to 55°F by the end.

A typical October day in Lake Tahoe reaches about 61°F in the afternoon and slips back to 38°F overnight — a 23°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 47°F and 72°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 11°F cooler than September and about 14°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16743
26642
36642
46542
56541
66441
76440
86440
96340
106340
116339
126239
136239
146238
156138
166138
176138
186037
196037
205937
215937
225836
235836
245736
255735
265635
275635
285534
295534
305433
315433

How October really feels in Lake Tahoe

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 7 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
7
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Lake Tahoe weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 24°5.710.710.29.60.0
Feb40° / 25°5.211.21110.50.0
Mar44° / 27°4.911.110.711.70.7
Apr49° / 29°2.78.97.4132.0
May59° / 36°2.18.43.614.14.8
Jun70° / 44°0.84.30.714.77.9
Jul79° / 51°0.43.1014.48.4
Aug79° / 52°0.53.1013.58.5
Sep72° / 47°0.63.20.312.38.5
Oct61° / 38°1.74.82.1116.0
Nov47° / 28°3.27.96.79.91.6
Dec38° / 23°5.610.610.29.30.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18317
28317
38317
48119
58119
68119
78020
87921
97822
107822
117822
127822
137723
147624
157624
167624
177624
187525
197525
207426
217426
227327
237426
247327
257327
267228
277228
287129
297030
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Lake Tahoe gets around 1.7 in of rain and snow over 4.8 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 15% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1144
2144
3144
4144
5145
6145
7145
8145
9145
10145
11145
12145
13145
14135
15145
16145
17145
18146
19156
20157
21157
22168
23168
24179
251710
261810
271811
281912
291913
302013
312114

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in October

Winds average 4 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 4 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
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 72 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:01 AM to 6:32 AM, and sunset from 5:37 PM to 4:55 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:015:37
211.66:025:35
311.56:035:34
411.56:045:32
511.46:055:30
611.46:065:29
711.36:075:27
811.36:085:26
911.36:095:24
1011.26:105:23
1111.26:115:21
1211.16:125:20
1311.16:135:18
1411.06:145:17
1511.06:155:15
1611.06:165:14
1710.96:175:12
1810.96:185:11
1910.86:195:10
2010.86:205:08
2110.86:215:07
2210.76:225:06
2310.76:245:04
2410.66:255:03
2510.66:265:02
2610.66:275:01
2710.56:284:59
2810.56:294:58
2910.46:304:57
3010.46:314:56
3110.46:324:55

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.44 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.4 kWh/m² to a high of 8.26 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 4.44 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.1Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
74.9Bright
84.9Bright
94.8Bright
104.8Bright
114.7Bright
124.7Bright
134.6Bright
144.6Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.4Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.0Bright
254.0Moderate
263.9Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.8Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.7Moderate
313.6Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Lake Tahoe

In seasonPeak

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

Lake Tahoe's rainy season runs November–April, 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 Lake Tahoe?

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

6.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Lake Tahoe for sightseeing.

What to pack for Lake Tahoe in October

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

In October, Lake Tahoe sees daytime highs around 61°F and nights near 38°F. Worth packing: a warm layer. About 5 days see rain.

a warm layer

UV index in Lake Tahoe in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Lake Tahoe peaks around June 23 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 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 highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 12Dec 13UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr8Very high
May10Very high
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep7Very high
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Lake Tahoe 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 Lake Tahoe is worst in August — around 85 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 16.6× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).

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

0306090JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateUnhealthyModerateGoodAug 1679 µg/m³Dec 165 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar9Good
Apr9Good
May9Good
Jun14Moderate
Jul45Poor
Aug85Unhealthy
Sep34Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Lake Tahoe?

Lake Tahoe sits at 38.9°N, 120.0°W, 6,237 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Carson City, 20 mi away.

Topography around Lake Tahoe

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Lake Tahoe has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 427 ft around an average of 6,270 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,181 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 10,850 ft.

The land around Lake Tahoe is covered by trees (50%) and water (29%) within 2 miles, trees (57%) and water (24%) within 10 miles, and trees (60%) and grassland (24%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
427 ft
10 miles
6,181 ft
50 miles
10,850 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Carson City 20 mi · Truckee 29 mi · Reno 42 mi · Sparks 43 mi · Sun Valley 47 mi · Spanish Springs 52 mi · Cameron Park 57 mi · Fernley 61 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 Lake Tahoe (38.9332°, -119.9844°, elevation 6,237 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).