Sumter weather in October

In October, Sumter sees average daytime highs of 75°F and overnight lows near 56°F, with 3.3 in of rain across 7.6 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 79°F in the first days to 71°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% 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 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Sumter's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sumter's year-round climate.

Daytime high
75°
7th warmest
Overnight low
56°
7th coldest
Rainfall
3.3 in
7.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:32 AM – 5:41 PM
Cloud cover
46%
1st clearest
Wind
7 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
3.85 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.4
out of 10

Sumter is city in and county seat of Sumter County, South Carolina, United States.

Density
491/km²
people per km²
Founded
1845

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 79°F in the first days to 71°F by the end.

A typical October day in Sumter reaches about 75°F in the afternoon and slips back to 56°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 66°F and 84°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 9°F cooler than September and about 9°F warmer than November.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18062
28062
37961
47961
57960
67860
77860
87859
97759
107758
117758
127657
137657
147656
157556
167555
177555
187454
197454
207454
217453
227353
237352
247352
257352
267251
277251
287251
297150
307150
317150

How October really feels in Sumter

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.

Sumter weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan56° / 37°3.58.90.5104.1
Feb60° / 40°3.38.60.310.74.9
Mar67° / 46°3.49.40.111.76.4
Apr76° / 54°3.48012.87.2
May82° / 63°3.19.5013.76.2
Jun88° / 71°4.213.2014.24.1
Jul91° / 74°4.715.50143.2
Aug89° / 73°4.714.5013.33.7
Sep84° / 67°4.210012.25.6
Oct75° / 56°3.37.6011.17.4
Nov66° / 45°2.87.2010.26.6
Dec59° / 40°3.78.60.19.84.7

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in October, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 40%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15743
25743
35743
45743
55743
65743
75743
85743
95842
105842
115842
125941
135941
146040
156040
166139
176238
186238
196337
206337
216337
226337
236337
246337
256238
266238
276337
286238
296139
306139
316139

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Sumter gets around 3.3 in of rain over 7.6 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 28% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
128
228
328
428
528
628
728
828
928
1028
1128
1228
1327
1427
1526
1625
1725
1824
1923
2023
2122
2222
2322
2422
2522
2622
2722
2822
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 48% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 16% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
12618202512
22718202311
32819202210
42919202110
5302020209
6322020198
7332120188
8352120167
9362120157
10382021146
11402021146
12421920135
13441920125
14461820114
15491720113
16501720103
1754161992
1855161982
1956161882
2059151871
2160151771
2260151771
2362151661
2462151661
2562151661
2663151561
2763151561
2864151461
2966141451
3067141351
3167141351

Wind in October

Winds average 7 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 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 66 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:20 AM to 6:45 AM, and sunset from 6:00 PM to 5:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:206:00
211.66:215:59
311.66:225:58
411.66:235:56
511.56:235:55
611.56:245:53
711.56:255:52
811.46:265:51
911.46:275:49
1011.36:275:48
1111.36:285:47
1211.36:295:46
1311.26:305:44
1411.26:315:43
1511.26:315:42
1611.16:325:41
1711.16:335:39
1811.16:345:38
1911.06:355:37
2011.06:365:36
2111.06:375:35
2210.96:375:34
2310.96:385:32
2410.96:395:31
2510.86:405:30
2610.86:415:29
2710.86:425:28
2810.76:435:27
2910.76:445:26
3010.76:455:25
3110.66:455:24

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.85 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.42 kWh/m² to a high of 6.2 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 3.85 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.1Bright
34.1Bright
44.1Bright
54.0Bright
64.0Bright
74.0Moderate
84.0Moderate
93.9Moderate
103.9Moderate
113.9Moderate
123.9Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.8Moderate
193.8Moderate
203.8Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.6Moderate
273.6Moderate
283.6Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.5Moderate
313.5Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Sumter?

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

7.4
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Sumter in October

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

In October, Sumter sees daytime highs around 75°F and nights near 56°F. Worth packing: light clothes. About 8 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Sumter 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 Sumter 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 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 9Dec 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Sumter 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 Sumter is worst in March — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1518 µg/m³Dec 178 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar18Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Sumter?

Sumter sits at 33.9°N, 80.3°W, 171 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Florence, 38 mi away.

Topography around Sumter

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Sumter has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 ft around an average of 171 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 305 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,079 ft.

The land around Sumter is covered by trees (63%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 2 miles, trees (64%) within 10 miles, and trees (75%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
98 ft
10 miles
305 ft
50 miles
1,079 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Florence 38 mi · Columbia 40 mi · West Columbia 42 mi · Saint Andrews 44 mi · Seven Oaks 47 mi · Lexington 52 mi · Summerville 63 mi · Goose Creek 67 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 Sumter (33.9204°, -80.3415°, elevation 171 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).