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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Charlottesville in April

Charlottesville in April: 30% of days see measurable rain, 70°F average high, 24% of days historically clear (n=240, ERA5 2018–2025).

Charlottesville in April is historically a poor month for sun: only 24% of days clear across 8 years (n=240, avg high 70°F). June is the clearest month for Charlottesville 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 Charlottesville 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 April

Clear-sky percentage for Charlottesville in April, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early April
1st–15th		 16% n=120 70°F
Late April
16th–end		 31% n=120 70°F
Full month average 24% n=240 70°F

Sunshine & warmth in April

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 Charlottesville in April. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early April
1st–15th		 32% n=120
Late April
16th–end		 44% n=120
Full month average 38% n=240
11.6 h median sunshine per day 73% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 30% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 24%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 38%. 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

Charlottesville is mostly overcast in April historically: only 24% of days are clear across 8 years (n=240), avg high 70°F. If you want sun in Charlottesville, June is historically much better. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

→ See all destinations in June — historically the best month for sun in Charlottesville.

Every month in Charlottesville

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

Historical clear-sky % for Charlottesville, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 1% n=226 All destinations →
March 5% n=248 All destinations →
April ← this page 24% n=240 All destinations →
May 32% n=248 All destinations →
June 48% n=240 All destinations →
July 37% n=248 All destinations →
August 40% n=248 All destinations →
September 46% n=240 All destinations →
October 29% n=248 All destinations →
November 4% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Charlottesville in April?

Sometimes. Charlottesville sees measurable rain on 30% of days in April historically (n=240 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Charlottesville good for sun in April?

Not usually. Charlottesville is historically overcast in April: only 24% of days are clear (avg high 70°F, n=240 days, ERA5 2018–2025). June is historically far better for sun here.

How Charlottesville compares in April

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