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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Tampa in August

Tampa in August is historically a poor month for sun: only 2% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 88°F). April is the clearest month for Tampa 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 Tampa 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 Tampa 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		 0% n=120 88°F
Late August
16th–end		 4% n=128 88°F
Full month average 2% n=248 88°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 Tampa 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		 90% n=120
Late August
16th–end		 89% n=128
Full month average 89% n=248
11.5 h median sunshine per day 83% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 83% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 2%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 89%. The 87-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

Tampa is historically almost never clear in August: only 2% of days meet the clear bar across 8 years (n=248). Come back in April if you want clear skies here. Plan entirely around indoor or overcast-friendly activities.

→ See all destinations in April — historically the best month for sun in Tampa.

Every month in Tampa

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

Historical clear-sky % for Tampa, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 23% n=248 All destinations →
February 40% n=226 All destinations →
March 52% n=248 All destinations →
April 54% n=240 All destinations →
May 38% n=248 All destinations →
June 6% n=240 All destinations →
July 2% n=248 All destinations →
August ← this page 2% n=248 All destinations →
September 12% n=240 All destinations →
October 41% n=248 All destinations →
November 41% n=240 All destinations →
December 34% 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.