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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Sarasota in February

Sarasota in February is historically a poor month for sun: only 38% of days clear across 8 years (n=226, avg high 74°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 Sarasota 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 February

Clear-sky percentage for Sarasota in February, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early February
1st–15th		 33% n=120 74°F
Late February
16th–end		 43% n=106 74°F
Full month average 38% n=226 74°F

Sunshine & warmth in February

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 Sarasota in February. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early February
1st–15th		 58% n=120
Late February
16th–end		 72% n=106
Full month average 65% n=226
10.6 h median sunshine per day 88% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 19% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 38%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 65%. The 27-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

Sarasota is mostly overcast in February historically: only 38% of days are clear across 8 years (n=226), avg high 74°F. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

Every month in Sarasota

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

Historical clear-sky % for Sarasota, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 17% n=248 All destinations →
February ← this page 38% n=226 All destinations →
March 49% n=248 All destinations →
April 50% n=240 All destinations →
May 40% n=248 All destinations →
June 8% n=240 All destinations →
July 5% n=248 All destinations →
August 5% n=248 All destinations →
September 11% n=240 All destinations →
October 39% n=248 All destinations →
November 42% n=240 All destinations →
December 31% 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.