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
#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

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.
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.
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.
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.
Add your own note from Richmond's card on the map.
Richmond climate normals — October
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)
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.
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 seasonStorms 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 festivalCrowdedThree 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 ↗
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?
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.