October Overview
- High temperature: 86°F (30°C)
- Low temperature: 77°F (25°C)
- Hours daylight/sun: 8 hours
- Water temperature: 83°F (0°C)
In October, temperatures as well as humidity levels start to decrease. With air temperatures between 77°F (25°C) and 86°F (30°C) and around eight hours of sunshine per day, weather conditions are usually warm and sunny. The water temperature amounts to 83°F (28°C), offering pleasant conditions for swimming. Despite decreasing precipitation, there are still around twelve rainy days. Thus, you should always have alternative plans for indoors- although rain showers are usually as brief as they are heavy. Additionally, always inform yourself about hurricanes, as October is one of the likeliest months for hurricanes to occur in Key West.
In October, probably the most popular festival in Key West takes place: the ten day Fantasy Fest. Visitors from all around the world take a trip to Key West to celebrate costuming parades paired with creative outfits, fantasy, and music. Every year, the partying event is based on a different motto making each festival unique and special. If you are in the mood for some Halloween activities during your stay in October, you should not miss out on Sloan’s Ghost Fort Adventures taking place at Key West’s Fort East Martello. Get to know another side of Key West by experiencing crazy nighttime ghost hunts where you can interact with the island’s spirits and observe frightful paranormal activities.
Best Time to Visit Key West
As the area of Key West is characterized by traits of tropical climates, air and water temperatures remain typically warm throughout the whole year. However, the amount of rainfall shows significant monthly variations: From May through October, rainy days are very common with an average temperature of 84°F (29°C). This is the wet season. In the dry season however, days only have minimal rain but a lot of sunny and dry weather. The average temperature is slightly less than in the wet season at 74°F (23°C). Yet the range of monthly temperature averages only amounts to 15°F (8°C), implying that there are hardly any variations in temperature throughout the year. Taking the hurricane season into account as well, which occurs from June to November, the best time to pay a visit to Key West is from December to April. Accordingly, Key West has its highest visitor count in the months of December and January. During fall however, the numbers of visitors are at a minimum.
Days in Key West during the wet season (May through October) are characterized by rain and humidity. Heavy showers, especially during morning time, shortly followed by strong sunlight are typical. Precipitation reaches a peak in August through October being additionally affected by hurricanes and tropical thunderstorms at times. Visiting Key West during these months, rapidly changing weather conditions have to be expected.
Dry season (November through April) brings a lot of sunny days with low precipitation levels to Key West. Due to the dry climate, the average precipitation amounts to only 40 mm per year, causing Key West to be the driest place within Florida. While low rainfall is favorable for visits, the temperature at this time of the year can be somewhat cooler than in summer.
Due to changeable weather situations, it is highly recommended to keep an eye on local weather reports during your journey in Key West particularly to avoid major storms during hurricane season.