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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Burlington in May

Burlington in May: 36% of days see measurable rain, 67°F average high, 15% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Burlington in May is historically a poor month for sun: only 15% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 67°F). July is the clearest month for Burlington 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 Burlington 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 May

Clear-sky percentage for Burlington in May, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early May
1st–15th		 6% n=120 67°F
Late May
16th–end		 24% n=128 67°F
Full month average 15% n=248 67°F

Sunshine & warmth in May

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 Burlington in May. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early May
1st–15th		 12% n=120
Late May
16th–end		 44% n=128
Full month average 29% n=248
12.3 h median sunshine per day 74% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 36% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 15%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 29%. 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

Burlington is a poor choice for sun in May: just 15% of days clear historically (n=248). July 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 July — historically the best month for sun in Burlington.

Every month in Burlington

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

Historical clear-sky % for Burlington, 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 2% n=240 All destinations →
May ← this page 15% n=248 All destinations →
June 27% n=240 All destinations →
July 32% n=248 All destinations →
August 31% n=248 All destinations →
September 26% n=240 All destinations →
October 6% n=248 All destinations →
November 0% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Burlington in May?

Sometimes. Burlington sees measurable rain on 36% of days in May historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Burlington good for sun in May?

Not usually. Burlington is historically overcast in May: only 15% of days are clear (avg high 67°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). July is historically far better for sun here.

How Burlington compares in May

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Burlington 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.