Rancho Santa Margarita weather in October

In October, Rancho Santa Margarita sees average daytime highs of 79°F and overnight lows near 57°F, with 0.9 in of rain across 2.8 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 82°F in the first days to 75°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Rancho Santa Margarita's 5th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rancho Santa Margarita's year-round climate.

Daytime high
79°
5th warmest
Overnight low
57°
8th coldest
Rainfall
0.9 in
2.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:01 AM – 5:10 PM
Cloud cover
25%
5th clearest
Wind
3 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.75 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

Rancho Santa Margarita is city in Orange County, California, United States.

Density
1,466/km²
people per km²
Founded
2000

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 82°F in the first days to 75°F by the end.

A typical October day in Rancho Santa Margarita reaches about 79°F in the afternoon and slips back to 57°F overnight — a 22°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 68°F and 90°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 7°F cooler than September and about 8°F warmer than November.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18260
28260
38260
48260
58159
68159
78159
88059
98058
108058
118058
128058
137958
147957
157957
167957
177857
187857
197856
207856
217756
227756
237755
247755
257655
267655
277654
287554
297554
307553
317453

Rancho Santa Margarita 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
Jan64° / 44°3.66.4106.5
Feb64° / 46°4.46.810.76.4
Mar67° / 48°2.66.511.76.9
Apr71° / 51°1.23.912.87.9
May74° / 56°0.62.313.78.7
Jun80° / 60°0.10.614.28.6
Jul86° / 65°0.10.6146.7
Aug88° / 66°0.10.313.26.1
Sep85° / 64°0.21.312.26.9
Oct79° / 57°0.92.811.28.5
Nov70° / 49°1.23.210.38.0
Dec64° / 44°2.55.39.86.6

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 17%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18812
28812
38812
48812
58812
68713
78713
88713
98713
108614
118614
128614
138614
148515
158515
168317
178317
188218
198119
208020
218020
227822
237822
247822
257822
267723
277723
287723
297723
307624
317723

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Rancho Santa Margarita gets around 0.9 in of rain over 2.8 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 11% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
25
36
46
56
66
77
87
97
108
118
128
138
148
159
169
179
189
199
2010
2110
2210
2310
2411
2511
2611
2711
2811
2911
3011
3111

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 62% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
14243141
24443121
34642111
44741101
5494191
6514081
7524071
8543961
9553951
10553951
11563941
12583831
13583831
14583831
15593821
16603721
17603721
18613621
19633511
20643411
21663211
22673111
23692911
24712711
25742510
26762310
27782110
28801910
29831700
30851500
31871300

Wind in October

Winds average 3 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 3 mph on the calmest days to 3 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:49 AM to 6:14 AM, and sunset from 5:29 PM to 4:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.75:495:29
211.65:505:28
311.65:515:27
411.65:525:25
511.55:525:24
611.55:535:23
711.55:545:21
811.45:555:20
911.45:555:19
1011.45:565:17
1111.35:575:16
1211.35:585:15
1311.25:595:14
1411.25:595:12
1511.26:005:11
1611.16:015:10
1711.16:025:09
1811.16:035:07
1911.06:045:06
2011.06:045:05
2111.06:055:04
2210.96:065:03
2310.96:075:02
2410.96:085:01
2510.96:095:00
2610.86:104:59
2710.86:104:58
2810.86:114:57
2910.76:124:56
3010.76:134:55
3110.76:144:54

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.75 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.99 kWh/m² to a high of 7.98 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 4.75 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.2Bright
85.2Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
134.9Bright
144.9Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.6Bright
204.6Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.2Bright
294.2Bright
304.1Bright
314.1Bright
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Rancho Santa Margarita?

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

8.5
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
8.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Rancho Santa Margarita in October

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

In October, Rancho Santa Margarita sees daytime highs around 79°F and nights near 57°F. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Rancho Santa Margarita in October

The nearest coast averages about 67°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 16 mi away) is warmest in August at about 69°F and coldest in February near 59°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 13 to Sep 28 — about 2.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°65°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan59Cool
Feb59Cool
Mar59Cool
Apr60Cool
May63Cool
Jun65Cool
Jul68Refreshing
Aug69Refreshing
Sep69Refreshing
Oct67Cool
Nov64Cool
Dec60Cool

UV index in Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita peaks around June 23 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 10Dec 16UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita is worst in September — around 49 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.0× the cleanest month (May, 12 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateSep 1447 µg/m³May 1713 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan18Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr17Moderate
May12Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug32Moderate
Sep49Poor
Oct21Moderate
Nov21Moderate
Dec18Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Rancho Santa Margarita?

Rancho Santa Margarita sits at 33.6°N, 117.6°W, 948 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mission Viejo, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Rancho Santa Margarita

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Rancho Santa Margarita has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 764 ft around an average of 1,007 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,564 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9,967 ft.

The land around Rancho Santa Margarita is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and trees (35%) within 2 miles, trees (43%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 10 miles, and water (27%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
764 ft
10 miles
5,564 ft
50 miles
9,967 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Mission Viejo 5.0 mi · Lake Forest 5.0 mi · Ladera Ranch 5.0 mi · Laguna Hills 6.8 mi · Laguna Woods 7.5 mi · Aliso Viejo 8.7 mi · Stonegate 9.3 mi · Laguna Niguel 9.9 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 Rancho Santa Margarita (33.6409°, -117.6031°, elevation 948 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).