Traveling to France (visiting Paris and Normandy) late October. What has been your experience with the weather at that time of year? What particular clothing would you pack for the weather?
This is a website that graphs historical data for temps and precipitation for Paris:
https://www.wunderground.com/history/monthly/fr/paris/LFPO/date/2024-10
At a glance, I noticed similar webpages for Normandy on a Google search.
My own experience last year, October 2024, was more mid-month than late. I did encounter rain, full days of it, in both Paris and Bayeux. Other days in Normandy (without beaches - discussed below) were cloudy, coolish, but comfortable enough with a light jacket.
Lucky for me, my Overlord Tour of the Normandy beaches was on a cloudy, but dry day. The area was muddy in some spots due to previous days' rains. I was glad for light hiking shoes that were OK with muddy paths. Even though we had no rain when I was visiting beaches, it was very windy and cold. I wore layers, the top was a waterproof jacket. I didn't have my lightweight gloves and wished I had brought them.
Paris in the rain was dreary. I needed my rain jacket, but not many layers underneath. I saw more museums than I'd planned on! I also had one spectacular day of nice sunshine.
I always check the forecasts the day before I leave the US to see if I need last minute packing adjustments due to weather. It may be my bad luck or misapprehension, but it seems like this check is giving me less and less reliable data in recent years!
I think with climate change much is unpredictable. We visited Paris in October 7-12, '23 and had close to *80 degrees every day, with sun.
Climate is changing so it is hard to predict. We usually stay in Paris in October. Usually it was sunny and temperate with the occasional shower i.e. ideal weather for travel. A couple of years ago it literally poured rain pretty much all day every day and was gloomy and overcast when it wasn't pouring. apparently it was the wettest October in Paris history. We will be there in September and October this fall and are hoping for better luck. We were there last October and it was ok -- more rain than years ago but mostly temperate.
The bottom line -- no one can give you good advice about weather anymore.
1st trip to Paris was last weekend of October in 2021 (flew home on Halloween). Great weather except for the last day which was rain. Still needed a light jacket and did wear layers but nothing heavier than a sweatshirt would be warranted and even that would be too much for the bulk of the time.
In Normandie, expect rain and wind. Temperatures could be moderate but more likely will be chilly in late October. Chances are you'll want a highly water resistant shell with a hood and at least one insulating layer (such as a fleece vest) underneath. Then again, it could be moderate and dry, but that's a bet I wouldn't make.
For what it's worth, Météo France offers a 15-day forecast. On occasion it might even be accurate !