Waco weather in October

In October, Waco sees average daytime highs of 80°F and overnight lows near 59°F, with 4.2 in of rain across 7.2 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 85°F in the first days to 74°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% 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 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Waco's 1st-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Waco's year-round climate.

Daytime high
80°
6th warmest
Overnight low
59°
7th coldest
Rainfall
4.2 in
7.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
6:37 AM – 5:50 PM
Cloud cover
40%
1st clearest
Wind
8 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.09 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.2
out of 10

Waco is city in and seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States.

Density
505/km²
people per km²
Founded
1849

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 85°F in the first days to 74°F by the end.

A typical October day in Waco reaches about 80°F in the afternoon and slips back to 59°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 69°F and 89°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)
18565
28564
38564
48464
58463
68363
78362
88362
98262
108261
118161
128161
138160
148060
158060
168059
177959
187959
197858
207858
217857
227757
237757
247656
257656
267655
277555
287555
297454
307454
317354

How October really feels in Waco

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.

Waco weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan59° / 40°2.86.910.25.0
Feb63° / 44°2.87.410.85.9
Mar70° / 50°3.5911.86.7
Apr77° / 57°3.48.512.77.1
May84° / 66°4.710.513.65.5
Jun91° / 73°2.98.4143.8
Jul95° / 76°1.45.713.82.8
Aug95° / 76°1.95.313.22.8
Sep89° / 70°2.4612.24.7
Oct80° / 59°4.27.211.27.2
Nov69° / 49°2.97.210.47.0
Dec61° / 42°3.37.1105.4

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% 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 33%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17525
27426
37426
47327
57129
67129
77030
86931
96832
106733
116733
126634
136634
146535
156535
166634
176634
186634
196634
206535
216535
226535
236535
246535
256535
266535
276535
286436
296436
306535
316436

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Waco gets around 4.2 in of rain over 7.2 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 23% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
217
318
418
519
620
721
822
922
1023
1123
1224
1324
1424
1524
1624
1725
1825
1925
2025
2125
2225
2325
2425
2525
2625
2725
2825
2926
3026
3126

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 45% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 22% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
13316192111
23417192110
33417182110
4351718209
5361718209
6361718209
7371718208
8381718208
9381717208
10391717197
11401817197
12411816196
13421916186
14421915185
15431915175
16442015175
17452014174
18462014164
19462014164
20472014153
21482013153
22492013153
23502013143
24502013143
25512012143
26531912133
27541912132
28551812132
29561812122
30571712122
31591711112

Wind in October

Winds average 8 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57light breeze
67light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 10 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 54 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:27 AM to 6:49 AM, and sunset from 6:08 PM to 5:35 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:276:08
211.76:276:07
311.66:286:06
411.66:296:05
511.66:296:03
611.56:306:02
711.56:316:01
811.56:316:00
911.46:325:58
1011.46:335:57
1111.46:345:56
1211.36:345:55
1311.36:355:53
1411.36:365:52
1511.26:365:51
1611.26:375:50
1711.26:385:49
1811.26:395:48
1911.16:395:47
2011.16:405:46
2111.16:415:45
2211.06:425:44
2311.06:435:43
2411.06:435:42
2510.96:445:41
2610.96:455:40
2710.96:465:39
2810.96:475:38
2910.86:475:37
3010.86:485:36
3110.86:495:35

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.09 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.67 kWh/m² to a high of 6.83 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 4.09 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.8Bright
34.7Bright
44.6Bright
54.6Bright
64.5Bright
74.5Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.0Bright
174.0Bright
184.0Moderate
194.0Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.9Moderate
223.9Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.8Moderate
263.7Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.6Moderate
293.6Moderate
303.5Moderate
313.5Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Waco?

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

7.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Waco in October

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

In October, Waco sees daytime highs around 80°F and nights near 59°F. Worth packing: light clothes. About 7 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Waco 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 Waco peaks around July 24 at about 10 (extreme) — 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 — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 24UV 10Dec 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar6High
Apr9Very high
May10Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Waco 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 Waco is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1517 µg/m³Dec 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb7Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Waco?

Waco sits at 31.5°N, 97.1°W, 469 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Temple, 34 mi away.

Topography around Waco

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Waco has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 236 ft around an average of 476 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 410 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,060 ft.

The land around Waco is covered by artificial surfaces (49%) and trees (38%) within 2 miles, grassland (38%) and trees (29%) within 10 miles, and grassland (53%) and trees (27%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
236 ft
10 miles
410 ft
50 miles
1,060 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Temple 34 mi · Gatesville 36 mi · Belton 39 mi · Harker Heights 44 mi · Killeen 45 mi · Fort Cavazos 47 mi · Copperas Cove 53 mi · Corsicana 55 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 Waco (31.5493°, -97.1467°, elevation 469 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).