ERA5 almanac comparison — 8 years of real data
Birmingham vs Sonoma: weather in October
Sonoma edges out Birmingham for sun in October: 68% clear historically versus 44% (8-year ERA5 average, a 24-point gap). Both are viable — Sonoma 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%
Sonoma
CA
- Clear days, October
- 68%
- Sample size
- n=248 days
- Avg high
- 78°F
- Early October (1st–15th)
- 78%
- Late October (16th–end)
- 58%
Compare Birmingham vs Sonoma 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.