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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Outer Banks in May

Outer Banks in May: 35% of days see measurable rain, 70°F average high, 16% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Outer Banks in May is historically a poor month for sun: only 16% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 70°F). June is the clearest month for Outer Banks 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 Outer Banks 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 Outer Banks 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		 5% n=120 70°F
Late May
16th–end		 27% n=128 70°F
Full month average 16% n=248 70°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 Outer Banks 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		 13% n=120
Late May
16th–end		 52% n=128
Full month average 33% n=248
12.9 h median sunshine per day 84% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 35% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 16%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 33%. The 17-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

Outer Banks is a poor choice for sun in May: just 16% of days clear historically (n=248). June is the historically strongest month for sun here. The 8-year record is consistent — this is not a fluke bad stretch.

→ See all destinations in June — historically the best month for sun in Outer Banks.

Every month in Outer Banks

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

Historical clear-sky % for Outer Banks, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 0% n=226 All destinations →
March 0% n=248 All destinations →
April 1% n=240 All destinations →
May ← this page 16% n=248 All destinations →
June 47% n=240 All destinations →
July 35% n=248 All destinations →
August 35% n=248 All destinations →
September 40% n=240 All destinations →
October 20% n=248 All destinations →
November 1% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Outer Banks in May?

Sometimes. Outer Banks sees measurable rain on 35% of days in May historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Outer Banks good for sun in May?

Not usually. Outer Banks is historically overcast in May: only 16% of days are clear (avg high 70°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). June is historically far better for sun here.

How Outer Banks compares in May

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