Sanford weather in October

In October, Sanford sees average daytime highs of 72°F and overnight lows near 53°F, with 3.1 in of rain across 7.2 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 76°F in the first days to 68°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% 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 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Sanford's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sanford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
72°
6th warmest
Overnight low
53°
7th coldest
Rainfall
3.1 in
7.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:29 AM – 5:34 PM
Cloud cover
47%
1st clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
3.69 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Sanford is human settlement in Lee County, North Carolina, United States of America.

Density
418/km²
people per km²

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 76°F in the first days to 68°F by the end.

A typical October day in Sanford reaches about 72°F in the afternoon and slips back to 53°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 62°F and 81°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 9°F cooler than September and about 10°F warmer than November.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17759
27759
37658
47658
57658
67557
77557
87556
97456
107455
117455
127355
137354
147353
157353
167253
177252
187252
197151
207151
217150
227050
237050
247049
256949
266949
276948
286848
296848
306847
316747

How October really feels in Sanford

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.

Sanford weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan52° / 34°3.691.19.92.9
Feb55° / 36°3.191.110.73.7
Mar63° / 43°4.010.40.411.75.6
Apr72° / 52°3.48.7012.96.9
May79° / 60°3.410.1013.86.6
Jun86° / 68°4.212.2014.34.7
Jul89° / 72°4.314.7014.23.7
Aug87° / 70°4.512.9013.34.4
Sep81° / 64°4.810.1012.26.2
Oct72° / 53°3.17.2011.17.3
Nov62° / 42°3.27.80.110.15.8
Dec55° / 37°3.58.90.59.63.6

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in October, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 41%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25446
35446
45446
55446
65545
75644
85644
95644
105644
115743
125842
135941
146040
156139
166238
176238
186337
196337
206337
216337
226337
236337
246337
256337
266238
276238
286139
296139
306040
316040

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Sanford gets around 3.1 in of rain over 7.2 wet days in October, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 25% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
228
328
427
527
627
726
826
926
1026
1126
1226
1326
1425
1525
1624
1724
1823
1923
2022
2122
2222
2322
2422
2522
2622
2722
2823
2923
3023
3123

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 58% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 10% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1342020197
2362020186
3372120176
4392119156
5412118145
6432118135
7442117125
8462216114
9482216114
10492215104
1152211493
1253211493
1355211383
1457201382
1558201372
1661191262
1762191261
1863181261
1965181151
2066171151
2167171150
2269161140
2369161140
2470151140
2570151140
2672151030
2773141030
2873141030
2973141030
3073141030
317513930

Wind in October

Winds average 6 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 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
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 36 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 6:16 AM to 6:43 AM, and sunset from 5:55 PM to 5:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:165:55
211.66:175:54
311.66:185:52
411.56:195:51
511.56:205:49
611.56:205:48
711.46:215:46
811.46:225:45
911.36:235:44
1011.36:245:42
1111.36:255:41
1211.26:265:40
1311.26:265:38
1411.26:275:37
1511.16:285:36
1611.16:295:34
1711.16:305:33
1811.06:315:32
1911.06:325:31
2010.96:335:29
2110.96:345:28
2210.96:355:27
2310.86:365:26
2410.86:375:25
2510.86:375:24
2610.76:385:22
2710.76:395:21
2810.76:405:20
2910.66:415:19
3010.66:425:18
3110.66:435:17

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.69 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.28 kWh/m² to a high of 6.18 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.69 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Bright
24.0Moderate
34.0Moderate
43.9Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.9Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.7Moderate
143.7Moderate
153.7Moderate
163.7Moderate
173.7Moderate
183.6Moderate
193.6Moderate
203.6Moderate
213.6Moderate
223.6Moderate
233.5Moderate
243.5Moderate
253.5Moderate
263.4Moderate
273.4Moderate
283.4Moderate
293.3Moderate
303.3Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Sanford?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is one of the better times to visit Sanford for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Sanford in October

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

In October, Sanford sees daytime highs around 72°F and nights near 53°F. Worth packing: light clothes. About 7 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Sanford 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 Sanford peaks around July 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 highHighModerateJul 13UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Sanford 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 Sanford is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1918 µg/m³Dec 188 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Sanford?

Sanford sits at 35.5°N, 79.2°W, 358 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Fuquay-Varina, 22 mi away.

Topography around Sanford

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Sanford has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 253 ft around an average of 384 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 466 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,227 ft.

The land around Sanford is covered by trees (73%) within 2 miles, trees (78%) within 10 miles, and trees (77%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
253 ft
10 miles
466 ft
50 miles
1,227 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
October weather nearby: Fuquay-Varina 22 mi · Holly Springs 23 mi · Apex 25 mi · Fort Bragg 25 mi · Pinehurst 25 mi · Carrboro 30 mi · Chapel Hill 30 mi · Morrisville 31 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 Sanford (35.4799°, -79.1803°, elevation 358 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).