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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Destin in July

Destin in July is historically a poor month for sun: only 4% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 88°F). October is the clearest month for Destin 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 Destin 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 Destin 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		 3% n=120 88°F
Late July
16th–end		 5% n=128 88°F
Full month average 4% n=248 88°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 Destin 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		 93% n=120
Late July
16th–end		 96% n=128
Full month average 95% n=248
12.3 h median sunshine per day 90% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 79% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 4%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 95%. The 91-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

Destin is historically almost never clear in July: only 4% of days meet the clear bar across 8 years (n=248). Come back in October if you want clear skies here. Plan entirely around indoor or overcast-friendly activities.

→ See all destinations in October — historically the best month for sun in Destin.

Every month in Destin

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

Historical clear-sky % for Destin, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 7% n=226 All destinations →
March 15% n=248 All destinations →
April 38% n=240 All destinations →
May 38% n=248 All destinations →
June 14% n=240 All destinations →
July ← this page 4% n=248 All destinations →
August 10% n=248 All destinations →
September 33% n=240 All destinations →
October 49% n=248 All destinations →
November 20% n=240 All destinations →
December 4% n=248 All destinations →

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.