FLORIDA · PEACOCK SPRINGS · SEPTEMBER
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs carries the name of the late cave explorer and filmmaker. Most people who drive out to this corner of north Florida come for what lies under the limestone: a spring and a string of sinks that open onto flooded cave passages. September puts that trip at the tail of the wet season, with afternoons close to 90°F and the rain easing off from August.
If your dates are set, the normals below tell you what to pack and when to be in the water. If you can still move the trip, August and October sit side by side further down, measured at the same station and over the same thirty years. For the park itself, start with our Peacock Springs guide.
SEPTEMBER AT A GLANCE · WES SKILES PEACOCK SPRINGS
Expect 88.0°F afternoons and 7.6 rain days, book refundable for the hurricane peak, and get in the water early.
HIGHS 88.0°F · LOWS 69.8°F · HURRICANE PEAK AROUND SEPT 10
Go for: morning dives and swims in hot weather, more than 12 hours of daylight, and more than a quarter less rain than August.
Think twice before: booking non-refundable nights, since September holds the Atlantic hurricane season’s statistical peak.
Climate: NOAA NCEI, Cross City station · Daylight: sunrise-sunset.org · full sources at the end
On this page
- Peacock Springs weather in September88.0°F highs, 69.8°F lows and 7.6 rain days
- How hot the days and nights getAn 18.2°F swing from dawn to afternoon
- Crowds, prices and booking in SeptemberRefundable rates in hurricane peak, lodging tax
- Things to do in SeptemberPeacock Springs, Orange Grove Sink, Olsen Sink and Troy Spring
- A September day trip to the parkGate at opening, water by 9, a plan for storms
- September, August or October?Rain from 8.10 to 5.82 to 2.23 inches
- Is September a good time to go?Who should go in September and who should wait
Flying in and driving out to springs country takes its own planning. Our Florida flights guide covers the airports, and getting around Florida covers the car you will need for the rural roads.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs weather in September: average highs, lows and rain days
| September normal (1991-2020) | Value |
|---|---|
| Average high | 88.0°F |
| Average low | 69.8°F |
| Precipitation | 5.82 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 7.6 |
| Days with 1 in or more | 1.9 |
| Daylight on Sept 15 | 12 h 22 min |
| Sunset on Sept 15 | 7:38 p.m. EDT |
These are official NOAA NCEI normals for 1991-2020, read at the Cross City weather station (USW00012833), a real thermometer rather than a grid-cell model. The station sits outside the park. It is the same one that serves Troy Spring on the same reach of the Suwannee, so every figure here describes the weather of that stretch of north Florida. On that basis, September averages a high of 88.0°F, a low of 69.8°F and 5.82 inches of rain.
At least a tenth of an inch falls on 7.6 days of an average September, roughly one day in four. Heavy rain is rarer: 1.9 days bring an inch or more, so a week in the park can expect a couple of wet spells and maybe one proper downpour. Florida’s wet season brings a near-daily pattern of afternoon thunderstorms through October, as our Florida overview sets out. Plan the swim or dive for the morning and keep the afternoon loose.
Dawn runs 18.2°F cooler than mid-afternoon on average. Pack a light long-sleeve layer for an early start, a quick-dry towel, a dry bag for phones and car keys, and a rain shell for the storm hour. Add a sun hat and plenty of drinking water for the midday stretch.
On September 15 the sun is up for about 12 hours 22 minutes. Sunset falls at 7:38 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, which leaves light for the drive back after a full day at the park.
How warm is Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in September?
Our climate source measures air, and we found no water-temperature reading for the springs, so we quote none. In the air, the average high of 88.0°F converts to 31.1°C and the average low of 69.8°F to 21.0°C, a spread of about 10°C. That spread widens to 22.3°F in October.
At a 7 a.m. start, with the air near 70°F, shorts and a light top are enough, plus a layer for climbing out of the water. By early afternoon the air is heading for 88.0°F: wear sunscreen, cover your head and drink before you feel thirsty. Divers should pick exposure protection from the conditions the park posts on the day.
NOAA’s normals give no frost-night count for September, and the average low sits 37.8°F above freezing. Leave the winter coat at home. Cooler mornings arrive the following month, when the average low drops to 59.9°F.
How busy is Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in September? Crowds and prices
September falls in Florida’s wet season and at the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, officially June 1 to November 30 and topping out around September 10, per the NOAA figures in our Florida best-time guide. We found no occupancy or room-rate series for the area, so we rank no month cheaper or dearer. Our Florida trip-cost guide carries the price tiers.
Book refundable rooms and flexible flights for a September trip, and watch the tropics in the week before you fly. We have no lead-time data for lodging near the park, so we give no number of weeks. For bases in the area, our Florida where-to-stay guide lays out the options.
We could not verify the lodging-tax rate for Suwannee County, so we give no percentage. Ask for the total with taxes when you book and compare it with the nightly rate you were quoted.
Extra money buys something real in September on a single line: flexibility. A refundable rate, or trip insurance with a named-storm clause, lets you move the nights if a system forms the week you travel. Read that clause before paying, and check our Florida safety guide for storm basics.
Things to do in Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in September
September keeps summer’s afternoon heat, with highs at 88.0°F, while rainfall drops by 2.28 inches from August. For a spring day, that means hot air to dry off in and fewer washed-out afternoons than the month before. Divers planning two sessions get about 12 hours 22 minutes of light at mid-month.
The park centers on its spring and sinks: Peacock Springs itself, Orange Grove Sink and Olsen Sink, openings onto flooded limestone cave passages. Cave and cavern diving here requires the right certification, and the park sets its own swimming and diving rules. Our sources give no fee, hours, parking count or water temperature for these sites, so we quote none. Troy Spring, served by the same Cross City station, makes a second stop on the Suwannee, and our Florida things-to-do guide has more.
Spring water holds close to the same temperature all year, while the air above it follows the season. In September the afternoon air still reaches 88.0°F, so climbing out feels mild. In October the average low falls to 59.9°F, and early swimmers feel the chill on the ladder.
We could not verify any fee-free day at the park in September, and our sources name no free sites nearby. Check current entry details with Florida State Parks before you set off.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs day trip in September
Florida state parks generally open their gates at 8 a.m. (est., confirm with the park), and daylight arrives well before that. Aim to be at the gate at opening, since we could not verify the parking capacity. Get in the water by 9, while the air sits nearer the 69.8°F dawn than the 88.0°F peak. Finish the main swim or dive by late morning, then eat lunch in the shade around noon.
After lunch, watch the western sky. On a dry afternoon, drive on to Troy Spring for a second stop. At the first thunder, leave the water and wait until the storm has clearly passed, or call it a day and start the drive with the 7:38 p.m. sunset still ahead. Cold is not a factor this month. For a longer loop through springs country, our Florida road-trip guide strings the stops together.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in September vs August and October
| NOAA normal, Cross City | August | September | October |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 89.9°F | 88.0°F | 82.2°F |
| Average low | 72.9°F | 69.8°F | 59.9°F |
| Day-night spread | 17.0°F | 18.2°F | 22.3°F |
| Precipitation | 8.10 in | 5.82 in | 2.23 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 11.5 | 7.6 | 3.7 |
Across the three months at Cross City, the average high slides from 89.9°F in August to 88.0°F in September and 82.2°F in October. Lows fall faster, from 72.9°F to 69.8°F to 59.9°F, so the day-night spread grows from 17.0°F to 18.2°F to 22.3°F. Rain drops from 8.10 inches over 11.5 days in August to 5.82 inches over 7.6 days, then 2.23 inches over 3.7 days in October. We found no water-temperature series for any of the three.
Going four weeks earlier, in August, you gain 1.9°F of afternoon heat and take on 3.9 more rain days. Going four weeks later, in October, you shed 3.9 rain days and 3.59 inches, with highs 5.8°F lower and dawns 9.9°F cooler. Both neighbors sit inside hurricane season. Each month has its own breakdown in Peacock Springs in August and Peacock Springs in October.
Is September a good time to visit Wes Skiles Peacock Springs?
Yes for certified divers and swimmers who enjoy hot afternoons and can book flexibly. September suits travelers less well if their dates are locked and non-refundable at the hurricane peak, or if they want reliably dry days, since roughly one day in four still brings measurable rain.
If September does not fit, pick October. Rain falls to 2.23 inches over 3.7 days and highs settle at 82.2°F, though dawns at 59.9°F call for a warm layer after a swim, and hurricane season still runs to November 30.
Of the three months, September alone pairs an 88.0°F afternoon with more than a quarter less rain than August.
The last word
Settle the flexibility question first. With refundable nights in hand, September at Peacock Springs is a hot, workable month with rain you can plan around. Set the alarm for the 7:15 a.m. EDT sunrise on the 15th, be at the gate when it opens, and have the dive logged before the afternoon clouds build.
Sources & data for this guide
- September, August and October normals (highs, lows, precipitation, rain days), 1991-2020 · NOAA NCEI monthly normals, station USW00012833, Cross City · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Station scope · the Cross City station also serves Troy Spring on the same reach of the Suwannee, and its figures describe that area, measured outside the park · NOAA NCEI · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on September 15 · sunrise-sunset.org, converted from UTC to EDT · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Hurricane season dates and Sept 10 peak · NOAA National Hurricane Center · checked Sep 24, 2026
- We found no water temperature, entry fee, opening hours, parking count or lodging-tax rate in our sources. The 8 a.m. opening is our estimate · confirm everything with Florida State Parks before you go.
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit Wes Skiles Peacock Springs: Weather, Rain and the Quiet Months
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in August: Weather, Rain Days, Daylight and How It Compares to July and September
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in October: Weather, Rain Days, Daylight and Crowds
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in July: Weather, Rain Days and How It Compares With June and August