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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Shenandoah Valley in April

Shenandoah Valley in April: 34% of days see measurable rain, 66°F average high, 14% of days historically clear (n=240, ERA5 2018–2025).

Shenandoah Valley in April is historically a poor month for sun: only 14% of days clear across 8 years (n=240, avg high 66°F). June is the clearest month for Shenandoah Valley 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 Shenandoah Valley 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 April

Clear-sky percentage for Shenandoah Valley in April, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early April
1st–15th		 8% n=120 66°F
Late April
16th–end		 19% n=120 66°F
Full month average 14% n=240 66°F

Sunshine & warmth in April

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 Shenandoah Valley in April. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early April
1st–15th		 22% n=120
Late April
16th–end		 28% n=120
Full month average 25% n=240
11.4 h median sunshine per day 71% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 34% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 14%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 25%. The 11-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

Shenandoah Valley is a poor choice for sun in April: just 14% of days clear historically (n=240). 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 Shenandoah Valley.

Every month in Shenandoah Valley

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

Historical clear-sky % for Shenandoah Valley, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 1% n=226 All destinations →
March 2% n=248 All destinations →
April ← this page 14% n=240 All destinations →
May 18% n=248 All destinations →
June 39% n=240 All destinations →
July 34% n=248 All destinations →
August 34% n=248 All destinations →
September 36% n=240 All destinations →
October 17% n=248 All destinations →
November 4% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Shenandoah Valley in April?

Sometimes. Shenandoah Valley sees measurable rain on 34% of days in April historically (n=240 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Shenandoah Valley good for sun in April?

Not usually. Shenandoah Valley is historically overcast in April: only 14% of days are clear (avg high 66°F, n=240 days, ERA5 2018–2025). June is historically far better for sun here.

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.