Short Pump weather in October

In October, Short Pump sees average daytime highs of 70°F and overnight lows near 51°F, with 3.6 in of rain across 7.5 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 74°F in the first days to 65°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% 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 Short Pump's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Short Pump's year-round climate.

Daytime high
70°
6th warmest
Overnight low
51°
7th coldest
Rainfall
3.6 in
7.5 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:25 AM – 5:26 PM
Cloud cover
50%
1st clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
3.45 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

Short Pump is census designated place in Henrico County, Virginia, United States.

Density
1,053/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 74°F in the first days to 65°F by the end.

A typical October day in Short Pump reaches about 70°F in the afternoon and slips back to 51°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 59°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 10°F cooler than September and about 11°F warmer than November.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17557
27556
37456
47456
57455
67355
77354
87354
97254
107253
117253
127152
137152
147051
157051
167051
176950
186950
196949
206849
216849
226748
236748
246747
256647
266647
276646
286546
296546
306545
316445

How October really feels in Short Pump

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.

Short Pump weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan47° / 31°3.292.19.71.6
Feb50° / 32°2.98.22.110.52.4
Mar59° / 39°3.910.31.211.74.5
Apr69° / 49°3.39.7012.96.4
May76° / 58°3.310.70146.7
Jun85° / 66°3.811.5014.65.2
Jul89° / 71°4.112.7014.34.0
Aug86° / 69°4.210.8013.54.8
Sep80° / 62°4.39.5012.36.6
Oct70° / 51°3.67.50117.0
Nov59° / 40°3.27.60.1104.9
Dec51° / 34°3.58.71.29.42.5

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% 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 43%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15446
25545
35644
45644
55644
65743
75743
85743
95644
105644
115743
125743
135743
145842
155842
165842
175842
185842
195941
205941
215842
225842
235842
245842
255842
265743
275743
285743
295644
305743
315743

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Short Pump gets around 3.6 in of rain over 7.5 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 25% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
126
226
325
425
524
624
723
823
923
1023
1124
1224
1324
1424
1524
1625
1725
1825
1925
2025
2126
2226
2326
2426
2527
2627
2727
2827
2927
3027
3127

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 69% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 6% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1451918153
2471917143
3491917133
4511816123
5531815113
6541815103
757181492
859171482
960171382
1061171372
1164161262
1265161252
1367151152
1469151141
1571141041
1672141031
177413931
187413931
197713820
207812820
217912720
227912720
237912720
248012620
258012620
268112610
278212510
288212510
298212510
308212510
318311510

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 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 6:11 AM to 6:41 AM, and sunset from 5:48 PM to 5:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:115:48
211.66:125:46
311.56:135:45
411.56:145:43
511.56:155:42
611.46:165:40
711.46:165:39
811.36:175:37
911.36:185:36
1011.26:195:34
1111.26:205:33
1211.26:215:31
1311.16:225:30
1411.16:235:29
1511.16:245:27
1611.06:255:26
1711.06:265:24
1810.96:275:23
1910.96:285:22
2010.96:295:20
2110.86:305:19
2210.86:315:18
2310.76:325:17
2410.76:335:15
2510.76:345:14
2610.66:355:13
2710.66:365:12
2810.66:375:11
2910.56:385:10
3010.56:405:08
3110.46:415:07

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.45 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.1 kWh/m² to a high of 6.17 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.45 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.6Moderate
103.6Moderate
113.6Moderate
123.5Moderate
133.5Moderate
143.5Moderate
153.5Moderate
163.5Moderate
173.4Moderate
183.4Moderate
193.4Moderate
203.3Moderate
213.3Moderate
223.3Moderate
233.2Moderate
243.2Moderate
253.2Moderate
263.1Moderate
273.1Moderate
283.1Moderate
293.0Moderate
303.0Moderate
313.0Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Short Pump?

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

7.0
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Short Pump in October

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

In October, Short Pump sees daytime highs around 70°F and nights near 51°F. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 8 days see rain.

UV index in Short Pump in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Short Pump peaks around June 21 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 21UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Short Pump 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 Short Pump is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1416 µg/m³Nov 217 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Short Pump?

Short Pump sits at 37.7°N, 77.6°W, 292 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Tuckahoe, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Short Pump

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Short Pump has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 ft around an average of 262 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 564 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,060 ft.

The land around Short Pump is covered by trees (64%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 2 miles, trees (73%) within 10 miles, and trees (79%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
200 ft
10 miles
564 ft
50 miles
2,060 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
October weather nearby: Tuckahoe 5.0 mi · Laurel 5.6 mi · Bon Air 9.3 mi · Midlothian 9.9 mi · Richmond 11 mi · Mechanicsville 14 mi · Meadowbrook 16 mi · Highland Springs 17 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 Short Pump (37.6504°, -77.6125°, elevation 292 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).