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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Orlando in January

Orlando in January: 25% of days see measurable rain, 69°F average high, 20% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Orlando in January is historically a poor month for sun: only 20% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 69°F). March is the clearest month for Orlando 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 Orlando 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 January

Clear-sky percentage for Orlando in January, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early January
1st–15th		 19% n=120 69°F
Late January
16th–end		 20% n=128 69°F
Full month average 20% n=248 69°F

Sunshine & warmth in January

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 Orlando in January. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early January
1st–15th		 34% n=120
Late January
16th–end		 34% n=128
Full month average 34% n=248
9.7 h median sunshine per day 69% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 25% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 20%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 34%. The 14-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

Orlando is mostly overcast in January historically: only 20% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 69°F. If you want sun in Orlando, March is historically much better. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

→ See all destinations in March — historically the best month for sun in Orlando.

Every month in Orlando

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

Historical clear-sky % for Orlando, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January ← this page 20% n=248 All destinations →
February 33% n=226 All destinations →
March 45% n=248 All destinations →
April 44% n=240 All destinations →
May 30% n=248 All destinations →
June 7% n=240 All destinations →
July 2% n=248 All destinations →
August 3% n=248 All destinations →
September 10% n=240 All destinations →
October 30% n=248 All destinations →
November 32% n=240 All destinations →
December 26% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Orlando in January?

Sometimes. Orlando sees measurable rain on 25% of days in January historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Orlando good for sun in January?

Not usually. Orlando is historically overcast in January: only 20% of days are clear (avg high 69°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). March is historically far better for sun here.

How Orlando compares in January

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Orlando 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.