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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Destin in May

Destin in May is historically a poor month for sun: only 38% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 82°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 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 May

Clear-sky percentage for Destin in May, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early May
1st–15th		 45% n=120 82°F
Late May
16th–end		 32% n=128 82°F
Full month average 38% n=248 82°F

Sunshine & warmth in May

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 May. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early May
1st–15th		 92% n=120
Late May
16th–end		 94% n=128
Full month average 93% n=248
12.5 h median sunshine per day 90% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 41% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 38%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 93%. The 55-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 mostly overcast in May historically: only 38% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 82°F. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

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 ← this page 38% n=248 All destinations →
June 14% n=240 All destinations →
July 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.