ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Antigua in March

Antigua in March: 49% of days see measurable rain, 82°F average high, 18% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Antigua in March is historically a poor month for sun: only 18% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 82°F). Historical average, not a forecast.

What you are reading: 8-year historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis, not a forecast. A month that is historically 90% clear can still be overcast on your specific trip. For this week’s actual forecast, see the live Antigua page. Both can be true at once: “historically strong in this month; this particular week is not.” We label which is which.

Early vs. Late March

Clear-sky percentage for Antigua in March, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period	% Clear days	Sample (n)	Avg high
Early March 1st–15th	27%	n=120	82°F
Late March 16th–end	9%	n=128	82°F
Full month average	18%	n=248	82°F

Sunshine & warmth in March

A second measure using actual sunshine hours (ERA5 sunshine_duration), not the daily weather code. A Lowcountry day with 12 hours of sun and a 25-minute afternoon storm is counted below as a warm, sunny day — because it was. How we define this.

Sunshine-based metrics for Antigua in March. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period	Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun)	Sample (n)
Early March 1st–15th	99%	n=120
Late March 16th–end	100%	n=128
Full month average	100%	n=248

11.6 h median sunshine per day 100% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 49% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden

Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 18%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 100%. The 82-point gap is from brief afternoon convective storms that stamp the whole day as “rain” in the WMO code but leave the bulk of the sunshine untouched.

Bottom line

Antigua is a poor choice for sun in March: just 18% of days clear historically (n=248). The 8-year record is consistent — this is not a fluke bad stretch.

Every month in Antigua

Compare across all months with data. Numbers are historical clear-sky %.

Historical clear-sky % for Antigua, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month	% Clear	Sample (n)
January	14%	n=248	All destinations →
February	7%	n=226	All destinations →
March ← this page	18%	n=248	All destinations →
April	8%	n=240	All destinations →
May	5%	n=248	All destinations →
June	4%	n=240	All destinations →
July	4%	n=248	All destinations →
August	4%	n=248	All destinations →
September	5%	n=240	All destinations →
October	6%	n=248	All destinations →
November	8%	n=240	All destinations →
December	16%	n=248	All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Antigua in March?

Sometimes. Antigua sees measurable rain on 49% of days in March historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Antigua good for sun in March?

Not usually. Antigua is historically overcast in March: only 18% of days are clear (avg high 82°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025).

How Antigua compares in March

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Antigua this month — same passport tier, similar flight distance, both sides from the same 8-year ERA5 record.

→ Antigua vs Belize in March — Belize is 18% clear historically
→ Antigua vs Cayman Islands in March — Cayman Islands is 17% clear historically
→ Antigua vs Hilton Head in March — Hilton Head is 19% clear historically

→ Antigua live forecast — this week’s actual 7-day weather, not historical
→ Best destinations in March — all destinations ranked by March clear-sky %
→ All destinations
→ Raw data (JSON) — buckets, n, source

All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.