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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Birmingham in March

Birmingham in March: 38% of days see measurable rain, 67°F average high, 9% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Birmingham in March is historically a poor month for sun: only 9% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 67°F). September is the clearest month for Birmingham 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 Birmingham 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 Birmingham 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		 10% n=120 67°F
Late March
16th–end		 9% n=128 67°F
Full month average 9% n=248 67°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 Birmingham 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		 17% n=120
Late March
16th–end		 28% n=128
Full month average 23% n=248
10.1 h median sunshine per day 66% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 38% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 9%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 23%. The 14-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

Birmingham is a poor choice for sun in March: just 9% of days clear historically (n=248). September is the historically strongest month for sun here. The 8-year record is consistent — this is not a fluke bad stretch.

→ See all destinations in September — historically the best month for sun in Birmingham.

Every month in Birmingham

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

Historical clear-sky % for Birmingham, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 1% n=226 All destinations →
March ← this page 9% n=248 All destinations →
April 27% n=240 All destinations →
May 36% n=248 All destinations →
June 30% n=240 All destinations →
July 17% n=248 All destinations →
August 28% n=248 All destinations →
September 49% n=240 All destinations →
October 44% n=248 All destinations →
November 14% n=240 All destinations →
December 1% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Birmingham in March?

Sometimes. Birmingham sees measurable rain on 38% of days in March historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Birmingham good for sun in March?

Not usually. Birmingham is historically overcast in March: only 9% of days are clear (avg high 67°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). September is historically far better for sun here.

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.