Richmond weather in October

October in Richmond: nice, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Richmond🇺🇸 United States · Northeast & Atlantic Canada · City85
  1. 59Jan
  2. 65Feb
  3. 75Mar
  4. 86Apr
  5. 87May
  6. 77Jun
  7. 66Jul
  8. 69Aug
  9. 79Sep
  10. 85Oct
  11. 74Nov
  12. 61Dec

#3 of 12 months in Richmond · #344 of 1413 destinations to visit in October · comfort 85/100 (tier A)

Days
23°C
Nights
11°C
Wet days
7
Sun
7.9 h
Humidity
72%
Daylight
11 h
Richmond, United States
Photo: Bruce Emmerling · CC BY-SA 4.0

Traveller notes on Richmond in October

Richmond forum regulars call early October “lovely with mild temps,” warm days and cool nights that regulars name alongside April and September as the city's best-weather months. The honest caveat: fall and spring in Virginia are very finicky seasons, with real variation possible from one day to the next even within a single week's visit — layers are the standard recommendation for exactly that reason, since a warm afternoon can follow a genuinely cool morning. The payoff for timing it right: many of the city's most popular outdoor events cluster into this stretch. Our record: 22°C days, 12.7°C nights, 7 rain days and 7.5 hours of sun — mild and comfortably dry, matching the “best of the year, but check the week's forecast” read.
Tripadvisor community · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Richmond

Forum posters describe late November in Richmond as usually cool and crisp, not too cold as long as it isn't raining, with temperatures sometimes still reaching the 60s or 70sF earlier in the month. Posters are direct that fall weather here is genuinely finicky, and conditions can turn colder and more unpredictable as November wears on. Posters consistently note that real winter cold doesn't typically arrive until late December or early January, with Richmond winters generally mild by regional standards - an occasional light dusting of snow, annual totals usually under a foot, and daytime temperatures well above freezing even if nights get properly chilly. Posters generally rate November as a good time to visit, with pleasant conditions for exploring the city's historical sites outdoors.
Tripadvisor community · November · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Richmond-area forum regulars call April one of the better months to avoid summer's heat and humidity, but warn spring here is genuinely unsettled — “wet, snow, sleet, rain or unseasonably warm conditions” can all show up in the same week. Average highs sit in the mid-60s°F and lows in the mid-40s, but it's still early spring: posters note it's “barely out of winter,” so be prepared for anything from near-freezing to low-80s depending on the week. Historic Garden Week typically falls in April, with private homes and gardens across the state opened for tours — a reason to time a visit for the month beyond the weather itself. Our record: 21°C days, 9.5°C nights and 9.8 rain days — mild on average, with the real variability the forum describes sitting underneath that number.
Tripadvisor community · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
April and early May are the forum's picks for Richmond — mild days, cool nights, and well clear of a summer regulars describe as steamy, over 32°C with high humidity. May averages near 25°C by day and 14 overnight. The honest caveat they add is that a Virginia spring is "a bit dodgy": it may be hot or cold, it may rain or not, and the month is genuinely unpredictable rather than reliably pleasant. October is the other month they name, and the one they rate as the more dependable of the two.
Tripadvisor community · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Richmond's card on the map.

Richmond climate normals — October

Daytime high23°C / 73°F😎 nice
Nighttime low11°C / 51°F
Feels like (high)22°C / 72°F
Rainfall104 mm / 4.1 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days7 days
Humidity72%💧 humid
Dew point11°C / 51°F
Sunshine7.9 h/day
Daylight11.2 h
Wind15 km/h / 9 mph
Air quality (US AQI)37🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Richmond in October

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

BusyRichmond Folk Festival(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Richmond's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Best weatherRichmond's best weather comes in April, May and October — separate windows, not one continuous season.

October includes Richmond Folk Festival.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Richmond in October

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Hazard

    Tropical storm remnants

    15 Aug – 15 Oct · usuallyHurricane season

    Storms that come up the Chesapeake or across from the Carolinas arrive here as flooding rain and downed trees, and the James can rise fast enough to shut the floodwall gates. Isabel is still the local benchmark. Source ↗

  • Festival

    Richmond Folk Festival

    9–11 OctMusic festivalCrowded

    Three days of free stages on the downtown riverfront in the second week of October, and one of the largest events in Virginia. It runs rain or shine and the hills above the stages get muddy. Source ↗

What's on around the world in October →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Richmond — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Richmond?

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Richmond in October — FAQ

Is October a good time to visit Richmond?
October in Richmond: nice, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #3 of 12 months for Richmond on SeasonMap's comfort score (85/100).
What is the weather like in Richmond in October?
In October, Richmond averages a daily high of 23°C and a low of 10.6°C, with about 103.8 mm of rain over roughly 6.5 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Richmond in October?
Richmond has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 37 in October.

Within 300 km: Washington's Fall colour around 20 Oct – 15 Nov, and Outer Banks' Lighthouse climbing season around 17 Apr – 12 Oct.