ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Bend in August

Bend in August: 8% of days see measurable rain, 84°F average high, 78% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Historically one of the better months to visit Bend for sun: 78% of days are clear on average (n=248, avg high 84°F). Every percentage here is a historical average from 8 years of ERA5 data — 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 Bend 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 August

Clear-sky percentage for Bend in August, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period	% Clear days	Sample (n)	Avg high
Early August 1st–15th	80%	n=120	84°F
Late August 16th–end	76%	n=128	84°F
Full month average	78%	n=248	84°F

Sunshine & warmth in August

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 Bend in August. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period	Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun)	Sample (n)
Early August 1st–15th	99%	n=120
Late August 16th–end	90%	n=128
Full month average	94%	n=248

13.4 h median sunshine per day 98% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 8% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden

Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 78%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 94%. The 16-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

Bend clears solidly in August: 78% of days historically (n=248), avg high 84°F. Most trips here in August will find more sun than cloud.

Every month in Bend

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

Historical clear-sky % for Bend, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month	% Clear	Sample (n)
January	0%	n=248	All destinations →
February	0%	n=226	All destinations →
March	0%	n=248	All destinations →
April	4%	n=240	All destinations →
May	21%	n=248	All destinations →
June	54%	n=240	All destinations →
July	87%	n=248	All destinations →
August ← this page	78%	n=248	All destinations →
September	55%	n=240	All destinations →
October	22%	n=248	All destinations →
November	0%	n=240	All destinations →
December	0%	n=248	All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Bend in August?

Rarely. Only 8% of days in Bend see measurable rain in August, based on 8 years of ERA5 historical data (n=248 days, 2018–2025). This is a historical average, not a forecast.

Is Bend good for sun in August?

Yes. Bend is historically strong for sun in August: 78% of days are clear on average (avg high 84°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025).

How Bend compares in August

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

→ Bend vs Scottsdale Desert Ridge in August — Scottsdale Desert Ridge is 78% clear historically
→ Bend vs Lake Tahoe in August — Lake Tahoe is 80% clear historically
→ Bend vs Phoenix in August — Phoenix is 76% clear historically

→ Bend live forecast — this week’s actual 7-day weather, not historical
→ Best destinations in August — all destinations ranked by August 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.