Sơn La weather in October

In October, Sơn La sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 49 mm of rain across 8.3 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 26°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in October, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of October to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Sơn La's 7th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sơn La's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
7th warmest
Overnight low
19°
6th coldest
Rainfall
49 mm
8.3 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:04 AM – 5:34 PM
Cloud cover
60%
7th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
3.89 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Sơn La is the old provincial capital of Son La province, Vietnam.

Density
328/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 28°C in the first days to 26°C by the end.

A typical October day in Sơn La reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 2°C cooler than September and about 2°C warmer than November.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12820
22820
32820
42820
52820
62820
72820
82820
92820
102820
112820
122720
132720
142719
152719
162719
172719
182719
192719
202719
212719
222719
232718
242718
252618
262618
272618
282618
292618
302617
312617

How October really feels in Sơn La

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
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.

Sơn La weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 12°24410.87.3
Feb23° / 13°193.611.37.9
Mar27° / 16°507.111.87.1
Apr29° / 19°7212.812.55.2
May30° / 22°14719.3133.7
Jun30° / 23°2092313.33.2
Jul29° / 23°28824.513.23.4
Aug29° / 22°28325.312.73.4
Sep29° / 21°15017.512.14.4
Oct27° / 19°498.311.56.6
Nov25° / 16°274.5117.8
Dec22° / 12°233.610.77.6

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24753
34753
44852
54951
64951
74951
85050
94951
105050
115050
125050
135050
145050
155050
165050
175050
185050
195050
205050
215050
225050
235050
245050
255050
265050
275050
285149
295149
305248
315248

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Sơn La gets around 49 mm of rain over 8.3 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 27% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
238
337
436
535
634
733
832
932
1031
1130
1229
1328
1427
1526
1626
1725
1825
1924
2024
2123
2223
2322
2421
2521
2621
2720
2820
2920
3019
3119

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the muggy band about 47% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 61% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
102164833
212174932
312184930
413194929
513195027
613205026
713215124
814225023
914235121
1014245120
1115245218
1215255217
1325265215
1426265214
1527275113
1627275212
1728285111
1829285110
193928519
2031028518
2141129497
2241229486
2351329476
2461429455
2581529435
2691629414
27101729394
28121829374
29131929363
30142029343
31152129323

Wind in October

Winds average 5 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min at the start of October to 11 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 36 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:59 AM to 6:11 AM, and sunset from 5:47 PM to 5:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.85:595:47
211.85:595:47
311.86:005:46
411.76:005:45
511.76:005:44
611.76:015:43
711.76:015:42
811.76:015:41
911.66:025:40
1011.66:025:39
1111.66:025:38
1211.66:035:38
1311.66:035:37
1411.56:045:36
1511.56:045:35
1611.56:045:34
1711.56:055:34
1811.56:055:33
1911.46:065:32
2011.46:065:31
2111.46:065:31
2211.46:075:30
2311.46:075:29
2411.36:085:29
2511.36:085:28
2611.36:095:27
2711.36:095:27
2811.36:105:26
2911.36:105:26
3011.26:115:25
3111.26:115:24

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.89 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.14 kWh/m² to a high of 5.26 kWh/m² in April across the year — October's 3.89 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.2Bright
54.2Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.0Bright
104.0Bright
114.0Moderate
124.0Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.8Moderate
193.8Moderate
203.8Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.7Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.7Moderate
313.7Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Sơn La

In seasonPeak

None of Sơn La's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Sơn La's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Sơn La?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Sơn La for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Sơn La in October

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

In October, Sơn La sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

UV index in Sơn La in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sơn La peaks around June 20 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 6 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highExtremeVery highHighJun 20UV 13Dec 18UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb9Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr9Very high
May11Extreme
Jun14Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec6High

Air quality in Sơn La 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 Sơn La is worst in April — around 151 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 12.9× the cleanest month (August, 12 µg/m³).

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

0306090120150JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyModerateGoodModerateApr 16140 µg/m³Aug 912 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan32Moderate
Feb38Poor
Mar67Unhealthy
Apr151Very unhealthy
May58Unhealthy
Jun14Moderate
Jul12Good
Aug12Good
Sep16Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov26Moderate
Dec31Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sơn La?

Sơn La sits at 21.3°N, 103.9°E, 608 m above sea level, in Vietnam. The nearest listed city is Ít Ong, 24 km away.

Dien Bien PhuXam NuaVieng XaiMường LayYên Bái

Topography around Sơn La

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sơn La.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sơn La has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 348 m around an average of 674 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,404 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,830 m.

The land around Sơn La is covered by trees (59%) within 3 km, trees (69%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and trees (68%) and grassland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
348 m
16 km
1,404 m
80 km
2,830 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Ít Ong 24 km · Thị Trấn Thuận Châu 27 km · Nghĩa Lộ 69 km · Dien Bien Phu 93 km · Xam Nua 102 km · Vieng Xai 107 km · Mường Lay 111 km · Yên Bái 112 km

Vietnam travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,066
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
59%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
30.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 500
Religion
none 86%Catholic 6%Buddhist 6%Protestant 1%

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 Sơn La (21.3256°, 103.9188°, elevation 608 m), 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).