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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Tampa in October

Tampa in October is a mixed month for sun: 41% of days historically clear (n=248, avg high 84°F). The outcome varies year to year — check the early/late split below. 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 October

Clear-sky percentage for Tampa in October, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early October
1st–15th		 32% n=120 84°F
Late October
16th–end		 50% n=128 84°F
Full month average 41% n=248 84°F

Sunshine & warmth in October

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 October. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early October
1st–15th		 90% n=120
Late October
16th–end		 92% n=128
Full month average 91% n=248
10.8 h median sunshine per day 89% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 32% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 41%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 91%. The 50-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 in October is genuinely mixed: 41% of days historically clear (n=248), avg high 84°F — more cloudy than clear. The outcome varies year to year; don't book if you need guaranteed sun.

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 2% n=248 All destinations →
September 12% n=240 All destinations →
October ← this page 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.