ERA5 almanac comparison — 8 years of real data
Birmingham vs Carmel-by-the-Sea: weather in October
Birmingham edges out Carmel-by-the-Sea for sun in October: 44% clear historically versus 16% (8-year ERA5 average, a 28-point gap). Birmingham also sees measurably more rain than Carmel-by-the-Sea this month (24% vs 9% of days). Both are viable — Birmingham is the safer bet.
What you are reading: 8-year historical averages, not a forecast.
Either destination can still surprise you this specific October. For this
week’s actual forecast, each destination links to its live page below.
Birmingham
AL
- Clear days, October
- 44%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 75°F
- Early October (1st–15th)
- 53%
- Late October (16th–end)
- 36%
- Rain frequency
- 24% of days
Carmel-by-the-Sea
CA
- Clear days, October
- 16%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 67°F
- Early October (1st–15th)
- 19%
- Late October (16th–end)
- 13%
- Rain frequency
- 9% of days
Compare Birmingham vs Carmel-by-the-Sea in another month
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.