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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Traverse City in August

Traverse City in August: 32% of days see measurable rain, 77°F average high, 36% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Traverse City in August is historically a poor month for sun: only 36% 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 Traverse City 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 Traverse City 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		 38% n=120 77°F
Late August
16th–end		 35% n=128 77°F
Full month average 36% 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 Traverse City 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		 67% n=128
Full month average 76% n=248
13.0 h median sunshine per day 87% 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: 36%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 76%. The 40-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

Traverse City is mostly overcast in August historically: only 36% 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 Traverse City

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

Historical clear-sky % for Traverse City, 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 3% n=240 All destinations →
May 14% n=248 All destinations →
June 32% n=240 All destinations →
July 44% n=248 All destinations →
August ← this page 36% n=248 All destinations →
September 28% n=240 All destinations →
October 5% n=248 All destinations →
November 0% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Traverse City in August?

Sometimes. Traverse City sees measurable rain on 32% of days in August historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Traverse City good for sun in August?

It's mixed. Traverse City in August is clear on 36% of days historically (avg high 77°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — the outcome varies year to year.

How Traverse City compares in August

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

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.