Weather in New York City in October

A good month. October is a solid month to be in New York City. Highs average 17.6 °C, lows 12.2 °C, and rain falls on 10 days — nothing in the month is working against you.

October ranks 5 of 12 in New York City: past the worst of the year but short of September, which is the month to book if the dates are open.

Rain on 10 days, 4 of them heavy. Enough to need a plan B, not enough to need a plan around it. Pack for 17.6 °C days and 12.2 °C nights; the spread matters more here than any single number.

What the averages hide

Averages flatten a month, and this one hides a few things: the day barely swings — 5.4 °C between the overnight low and the afternoon high. Across the twenty years measured, the hottest October day reached 28.9 °C and the coldest night fell to 3.1 °C, and the wettest single day dropped 78 mm — roughly 63% of the month's rain in one day.

October is moderately variable: 22 mm in the driest year against 310 mm in the wettest, around an average of 124 mm. Roughly two Octobers in three land near that average, and the third does something else entirely.

Wind sits around 16.4 km/h — a steady breeze rather than a nuisance, and welcome on the warmer days, and humidity runs at 78%, high enough to notice on the warm days without dominating them.

How October sits in the year

The month is on the way down: 5.6 °C cooler than September, with November dropping another 5.7 °C. The first week and the last are not the same trip.

Daylight in October

11.2 hours of daylight, losing 1.3 hours across the month. That is between New York City's extremes of 15.1 and 9.3 hours, so days are long enough not to constrain the plan.

Sea temperature

The sea sits at about 18.2 °C in October — swimmable, but it takes a moment to commit. The sea peaks at 24.4 °C in August and bottoms out at 6.8 °C — water lags the air by a month or two, which is why the best swimming often comes after the best weather.

How busy it gets

Busy. Popular without being frantic; book the things you care about, improvise the rest.

Crowd levels are estimated from climate desirability and school-holiday calendars, not from visitor numbers.

October in New York City versus nearby

If New York City is one option among several, the nearby comparison is worth making. Philadelphia is close enough to be a coin toss — within a degree on temperature, 1 day less rain. Boston is close enough to be a coin toss — within a degree on temperature, 1 day more rain.

So: October works, with September the better month by 10 points if the dates can move. If they cannot, nothing here should stop you booking.

Every month in New York City

See all twelve months in New York City, or where else to go in October.