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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Charlottesville in July

Charlottesville in July: 35% of days see measurable rain, 91°F average high, 37% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Charlottesville in July is historically a poor month for sun: only 37% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 91°F). 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 July

Clear-sky percentage for Charlottesville in July, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early July
1st–15th		 40% n=120 91°F
Late July
16th–end		 34% n=128 91°F
Full month average 37% n=248 91°F

Sunshine & warmth in July

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 July. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early July
1st–15th		 97% n=120
Late July
16th–end		 92% n=128
Full month average 94% n=248
13.0 h median sunshine per day 91% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 35% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 37%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 94%. The 57-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 July historically: only 37% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 91°F. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

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 24% n=240 All destinations →
May 32% n=248 All destinations →
June 48% n=240 All destinations →
July ← this page 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 July?

Sometimes. Charlottesville sees measurable rain on 35% of days in July historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Charlottesville good for sun in July?

It's mixed. Charlottesville in July is clear on 37% of days historically (avg high 91°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — the outcome varies year to year.

How Charlottesville compares in July

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.