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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Aruba in January

Aruba in January: 47% of days see measurable rain, 84°F average high, 24% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Aruba in January is historically a poor month for sun: only 24% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 84°F). May is the clearest month for Aruba historically. 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 Aruba 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 January

Clear-sky percentage for Aruba in January, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early January
1st–15th		 22% n=120 84°F
Late January
16th–end		 25% n=128 84°F
Full month average 24% n=248 84°F

Sunshine & warmth in January

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 Aruba in January. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early January
1st–15th		 100% n=120
Late January
16th–end		 100% n=128
Full month average 100% n=248
11.1 h median sunshine per day 100% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 47% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 24%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 100%. The 76-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

Aruba is mostly overcast in January historically: only 24% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 84°F. If you want sun in Aruba, May is historically much better. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

→ See all destinations in May — historically the best month for sun in Aruba.

Every month in Aruba

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

Historical clear-sky % for Aruba, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January ← this page 24% n=248 All destinations →
February 22% n=226 All destinations →
March 33% n=248 All destinations →
April 33% n=240 All destinations →
May 39% n=248 All destinations →
June 30% n=240 All destinations →
July 22% n=248 All destinations →
August 24% n=248 All destinations →
September 32% n=240 All destinations →
October 14% n=248 All destinations →
November 6% n=240 All destinations →
December 12% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Aruba in January?

Sometimes. Aruba sees measurable rain on 47% of days in January historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Aruba good for sun in January?

Not usually. Aruba is historically overcast in January: only 24% of days are clear (avg high 84°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). May is historically far better for sun here.

How Aruba compares in January

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

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.