ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Stowe in August

Stowe in August: 50% of days see measurable rain, 77°F average high, 25% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Stowe in August is historically a poor month for sun: only 25% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 77°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 Stowe 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 August

Clear-sky percentage for Stowe in August, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period	% Clear days	Sample (n)	Avg high
Early August 1st–15th	28%	n=120	77°F
Late August 16th–end	22%	n=128	77°F
Full month average	25%	n=248	77°F

Sunshine & warmth in August

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 Stowe in August. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period	Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun)	Sample (n)
Early August 1st–15th	86%	n=120
Late August 16th–end	66%	n=128
Full month average	76%	n=248

11.8 h median sunshine per day 82% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 50% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden

Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 25%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 76%. The 51-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

Stowe is mostly overcast in August historically: only 25% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 77°F. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

Every month in Stowe

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

Historical clear-sky % for Stowe, 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	2%	n=240	All destinations →
May	14%	n=248	All destinations →
June	21%	n=240	All destinations →
July	24%	n=248	All destinations →
August ← this page	25%	n=248	All destinations →
September	18%	n=240	All destinations →
October	6%	n=248	All destinations →
November	0%	n=240	All destinations →
December	0%	n=248	All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Stowe in August?

Yes, frequently. In Stowe, 50% of days in August see measurable rain, based on 8 years of ERA5 historical data (n=248 days, 2018–2025). This is a historical average, not a forecast.

Is Stowe good for sun in August?

Not usually. Stowe is historically overcast in August: only 25% of days are clear (avg high 77°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025).

How Stowe compares in August

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Stowe this month — same passport tier, similar flight distance, both sides from the same 8-year ERA5 record.

→ Stowe vs Asheville in August — Asheville is 25% clear historically
→ Stowe vs Charlotte in August — Charlotte is 23% clear historically
→ Stowe vs Houston in August — Houston is 23% clear historically

→ Stowe live forecast — this week’s actual 7-day weather, not historical
→ Best destinations in August — all destinations ranked by August clear-sky %
→ All destinations
→ Raw data (JSON) — buckets, n, source

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.