FLORIDA · OCTOBER · WES SKILES PEACOCK SPRINGS
October is when the rain lets go of Wes Skiles Peacock Springs. The Suwannee County park, named for the cave explorer and underwater filmmaker Wes Skiles, goes from 5.82 inches of September rain to 2.23 inches in October on the official 1991–2020 normals. Afternoons still reach the low 80s, and mornings start near 60°F.
Most visitors fold the springs into a day trip or a weekend on a north Florida drive. Our Florida road trip guide covers the route, and our flights guide sorts out which airport to fly into. Everything below is about the date, and about what four weeks earlier or later would change.
OCTOBER AT A GLANCE · WES SKILES PEACOCK SPRINGS
October brings warm, mostly dry afternoons and cool mornings, with less than half of September’s rain on the 1991–2020 normals.
1991–2020 NOAA NORMALS · CROSS CITY STATION · DRIER THAN SEPTEMBER
Go for: dry-weather walking between the sinks, cool mornings, and a rain count that falls from 7.6 days in September to 3.7 in October.
Think twice before: booking non-refundable, because Florida’s hurricane season runs through November 30.
Climate: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020, station USW00012833 · Daylight: sunrise-sunset.org · full sources at the end
On this page
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs weather in October82.2°F highs, 59.9°F lows and 3.7 rain days
- How warm Peacock Springs feels in OctoberAir from 59.9°F to 82.2°F and what to wear
- Crowds and room prices in OctoberBooking, lodging tax and refundable rates
- Things to do at Peacock Springs in OctoberPeacock Spring, Orange Grove Sink and Olsen Sink
- A Peacock Springs day trip in OctoberFrom the 7:33 a.m. sunrise to the 7:02 p.m. sunset
- October vs September and NovemberHighs of 88.0°F, 82.2°F and 74.4°F
- Is October a good time to visit?Yes for dry-day walkers, November for cooler air
Every figure here comes from the NOAA station at Cross City, the nearest official thermometer, and not from a gauge at the spring itself. Treat the numbers as the local climate of this stretch of the Suwannee valley, and expect the shade around the sinks to feel a little different from the airport reading.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs weather in October: average highs, lows and rain days
| October normal | Value | What it means on the day |
|---|---|---|
| Average high | 82.2°F | Shorts weather by early afternoon |
| Average low | 59.9°F | A layer for the drive in |
| Precipitation | 2.23 in | Less than half of September’s 5.82 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 3.7 | Roughly one day in eight |
| Days with 1 in or more | 0.4 | A true downpour about two Octobers in five |
| Daylight, Oct 15 | 11 h 29 min | Sunrise 7:33 a.m., sunset 7:02 p.m. EDT |
NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information publish the 1991–2020 normals for station USW00012833 at Cross City: an average October high of 82.2°F, an average low of 59.9°F and 2.23 inches of precipitation. These are readings from a real thermometer rather than a reanalysis grid cell, and grid products can drift several degrees from a station on the overnight low.
On 3.7 days in an average October the gauge collects at least a tenth of an inch, so measurable rain turns up roughly one day in eight. Heavy rain is rarer: 0.4 day per month reaches an inch or more, about two Octobers in five with one proper soaking. For a day trip, a wet morning usually means shifting plans by hours, and rarely means canceling the drive.
The gap between the average low and the average high is 22.3°F. A fleece or light jacket for the early start belongs in the bag, along with a T-shirt for the afternoon, and a dry change of clothes if you plan to be anywhere near the water.
On October 15 the park gets about 11 hours 29 minutes of daylight. Sunrise is at 7:33 a.m. and sunset at 7:02 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, converted from the 11:33 and 23:02 UTC times published by sunrise-sunset.org. Under the tree canopy around the sinks, the light fades before the official sunset.
How warm is Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in October?
The air runs from an average low of 59.9°F to an average high of 82.2°F, a swing of 22.3°F in a single day. Water is another matter. Where sea and spring tables exist, they usually average daily maxima, which reads a little warmer than a 24-hour mean.
In practice, long sleeves and a light jacket suit an arrival around sunrise, when the thermometer sits close to 60°F. By early afternoon the same visitor is in a T-shirt and shorts, with a hat for the open ground between the parking area and the sinks. Anyone planning to get in the water should pack a towel and a warm top for the minutes after, since the morning air is cool.
Our sources do not count freezing nights for October at Cross City, so we cannot say how often a frost arrives. The average low of 59.9°F sits well above freezing, and even November’s average low of 49.2°F stays clear of it.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs crowds in October: how busy it gets and prices
October falls inside the Atlantic hurricane season, which our Florida orientation guide dates from June 1 to November 30. That is a fact of the calendar. We found no occupancy series and no monthly room-rate data for the area around the park, so we rank no month cheap or expensive.
Without a booking-lead series we set no number of weeks ahead. Book the room when the dates are fixed, then confirm the park’s gate hours in the week you travel, because we could not verify the current schedule. Our Florida where-to-stay guide helps pick a base for a north Florida weekend.
We could not verify the lodging-tax rate for Suwannee County or the neighboring counties, so we give no percentage. Check the total on the booking screen before you confirm, since local taxes are often added at checkout.
If one line of the trip deserves extra money in October, make it a refundable rate. The season runs through November 30, and a free-cancellation room lets you move the trip if a storm sits over north Florida. Our Florida trip-cost guide prices the rest of the budget.
Things to do in Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in October
With 3.7 rain days on average against September’s 7.6, October leaves more dry hours for walking between the sinks. The 82.2°F afternoon high is 5.8°F below September’s, so the midday stretch stays comfortable for being outdoors.
The park centers on Peacock Spring and a chain of sinkholes that includes Orange Grove Sink and Olsen Sink, windows into a flooded cave system that draws trained cave divers from around the world. We could not verify the current entrance fee, opening hours, parking capacity or swimming rules, so we give none. Florida State Parks publishes them, and our Florida safety guide covers spring and water precautions.
Spring water holds close to the same temperature through the year, while the air around it keeps falling. Between September and October the average low drops 9.9°F, from 69.8°F to 59.9°F. On a cool morning the water can feel mild next to the air, and by November’s 49.2°F average low the contrast grows further.
We could not verify any free-entry day at the park in October, so we list none. For more springs and parks to add to the drive, our things to do in Florida guide has the wider list.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs day trip in October
Sunrise on October 15 is at 7:33 a.m., with the air close to its 59.9°F average low. Plan the drive to reach the gate at opening, and check the exact time the day before. The morning hours are the coolest for walking the paths between Peacock Spring and the sinks. By late morning the temperature climbs toward the afternoon, and a picnic lunch in the shade breaks up the day.
The afternoon peaks near 82.2°F, warm enough for shorts. Measurable rain comes about one day in eight, so if it arrives, wait it out in the car or at a café nearby. A cold front can pull the evening down toward November-style air, and a jacket is worth having in the trunk. Sunset is at 7:02 p.m., and under the trees the light fades earlier, so be back at the car before then.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in October vs September and November
| Normal (1991–2020, Cross City) | September | October | November |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 88.0°F | 82.2°F | 74.4°F |
| Average low | 69.8°F | 59.9°F | 49.2°F |
| Precipitation | 5.82 in | 2.23 in | 2.10 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 7.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
From September to October the average high falls 5.8°F and the average low 9.9°F, while rain drops from 5.82 to 2.23 inches and rain days are cut roughly in half, from 7.6 to 3.7. November loses another 7.8°F on the high, reaching 74.4°F, and 10.7°F on the low, reaching 49.2°F. Its rain barely moves, at 2.10 inches over 3.4 days. We found no water-temperature series for any of the three months.
Moving four weeks earlier, into September, gains warmer air for anyone planning to get wet and costs twice as many rain days. Moving four weeks later, into November, keeps the dry count and adds cooler mornings that call for a real coat at 49.2°F. November also marks the last month of the hurricane season, which ends on November 30.
Is October a good time to visit Wes Skiles Peacock Springs?
Yes, for walkers, photographers and road-trippers who want warm afternoons and few wet days. Travelers chasing the hottest possible air to pair with time in the water will find September’s 88.0°F high closer to what they want, at the price of 7.6 rain days.
If October does not fit, November is the closer match. It keeps nearly the same dryness, with 3.4 rain days, and trades warmth for cooler air, an average high of 74.4°F. Our best time to visit Florida guide covers the rest of the year.
Of the three months, October is the one pairing an 82.2°F afternoon with fewer than four rain days.
The last word
Book the refundable room, pick the driest-looking day in the forecast, and be on the road early enough to reach the gate near sunrise. When you check that forecast, use Cross City’s: the same NOAA station serves Troy Spring on the same reach of the Suwannee, so one reading covers both springs if you want a second stop on the same October day.
Sources & data for this guide
- October, September and November normals (highs, lows, precipitation, rain days) · NOAA NCEI monthly normals 1991–2020, station USW00012833, Cross City · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Station scope · the Cross City normals also serve Troy Spring on the same reach of the Suwannee and are not measured at the spring · NOAA NCEI · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on October 15 · sunrise-sunset.org, converted from UTC to Eastern Daylight Time · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Hurricane season dates · NOAA National Hurricane Center, as cited in our Florida orientation guide · checked Sep 24, 2026
- We could not verify the spring’s water temperature, the park’s entrance fee, hours, parking or swimming rules, the local lodging-tax rate, or any room-rate series · check Florida State Parks and your lodging before you book.
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit Wes Skiles Peacock Springs: Weather, Rain and the Quiet Months
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in September: Weather, Rain Days and Hurricane Season
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in November: Weather, Rain Days, Frost Nights and Daylight
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in August: Weather, Rain Days, Daylight and How It Compares to July and September