Los Altos weather in October

In October, Los Altos sees average daytime highs of 73°F and overnight lows near 54°F, with 0.9 in of rain across 2.9 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 77°F in the first days to 69°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% 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 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Los Altos's 5th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Los Altos's year-round climate.

Daytime high
73°
5th warmest
Overnight low
54°
8th coldest
Rainfall
0.9 in
2.9 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:23 AM – 5:24 PM
Cloud cover
29%
5th clearest
Wind
4 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

Los Altos is city in Santa Clara County, California, United States.

Density
1,829/km²
people per km²
Founded
1952

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 77°F in the first days to 69°F by the end.

A typical October day in Los Altos reaches about 73°F in the afternoon and slips back to 54°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 64°F and 85°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 6°F cooler than September and about 10°F warmer than November.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17756
27756
37756
47656
57656
67656
77656
87655
97555
107555
117555
127555
137455
147455
157454
167454
177354
187354
197354
207354
217253
227253
237153
247153
257153
267052
277052
287052
296951
306951
316951

Los Altos weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 43°3.68.99.74.2
Feb59° / 45°3.88.910.64.7
Mar62° / 47°2.99.111.75.6
Apr65° / 48°1.65.712.96.8
May70° / 52°0.83.4147.9
Jun76° / 55°0.20.914.59.1
Jul80° / 58°0.00.214.39.0
Aug81° / 59°0.00.213.48.9
Sep79° / 58°0.10.412.39.0
Oct73° / 54°0.92.9118.5
Nov63° / 48°1.75.7106.3
Dec57° / 43°3.38.99.54.2

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% 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 21%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18713
28515
38515
48416
58416
68317
78317
88218
98218
108020
118020
128020
137921
147822
157822
167822
177822
187822
197723
207723
217624
227624
237624
247624
257525
267426
277426
287327
297327
307228
317129

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Los Altos gets around 0.9 in of rain over 2.9 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 9% and peaks near 15% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
25
35
46
56
66
76
87
97
107
117
127
137
147
158
168
178
188
199
209
2110
2210
2311
2411
2512
2612
2713
2813
2914
3014
3115

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 (%)
171281
273261
374251
476231
577221
678211
780191
881181
981181
1082171
1183161
1283161
1383161
1484151
1584151
1684151
1785141
1885141
1985141
2086131
2186131
2287121
2387121
2488120
2589110
2690100
2790100
289190
299190
309190
319280

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 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:09 AM to 6:38 AM, and sunset from 5:46 PM to 5:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:095:46
211.66:105:45
311.56:115:43
411.56:125:41
511.56:125:40
611.46:135:38
711.46:145:37
811.36:155:35
911.36:165:34
1011.36:175:33
1111.26:185:31
1211.26:195:30
1311.16:205:28
1411.16:215:27
1511.16:225:25
1611.06:235:24
1711.06:245:23
1810.96:255:21
1910.96:265:20
2010.96:275:19
2110.86:285:18
2210.86:295:16
2310.86:305:15
2410.76:315:14
2510.76:325:13
2610.66:335:11
2710.66:345:10
2810.66:355:09
2910.56:365:08
3010.56:375:07
3110.56:385:06

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.31 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.29 kWh/m² to a high of 7.96 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 4.31 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.1Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.7Bright
104.6Bright
114.6Bright
124.5Bright
134.5Bright
144.4Bright
154.4Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.1Bright
214.0Bright
224.0Bright
234.0Moderate
243.9Moderate
253.9Moderate
263.8Moderate
273.8Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.6Moderate
303.6Moderate
313.5Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Los Altos?

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

8.5
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

October is one of the better times to visit Los Altos for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Los Altos in October

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

In October, Los Altos sees daytime highs around 73°F and nights near 54°F. Worth packing: light clothes.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Los Altos in October

The nearest coast averages about 58°F in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 14 mi away) is warmest in August at about 59°F and coldest in April near 54°F.

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

52°54°56°58°60°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan54Bracing
Feb54Bracing
Mar54Bracing
Apr54Bracing
May54Bracing
Jun55Bracing
Jul57Bracing
Aug59Bracing
Sep59Bracing
Oct58Bracing
Nov56Bracing
Dec55Bracing

UV index in Los Altos 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 Los Altos peaks around June 23 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 10Dec 15UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep6High
Oct5High
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Los Altos 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 Los Altos is worst in August — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (June, 10 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateAug 1824 µg/m³Jun 1110 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr12Moderate
May10Good
Jun10Good
Jul11Good
Aug25Moderate
Sep17Moderate
Oct20Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Los Altos?

Los Altos sits at 37.4°N, 122.1°W, 157 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mountain View, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Los Altos

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Los Altos has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 505 ft around an average of 177 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,002 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,452 ft.

The land around Los Altos is covered by artificial surfaces (48%) and trees (47%) within 2 miles, trees (43%) and artificial surfaces (28%) within 10 miles, and water (36%), trees (25%) and grassland (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
505 ft
10 miles
3,002 ft
50 miles
4,452 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
October weather nearby: Mountain View 1.9 mi · Palo Alto 4.3 mi · Sunnyvale 4.3 mi · East Palo Alto 6.2 mi · Menlo Park 6.2 mi · Cupertino 6.2 mi · Santa Clara 8.7 mi · Redwood City 9.3 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 Los Altos (37.3852°, -122.1141°, elevation 157 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. 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. 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).