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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Traverse City in May

Traverse City in May: 33% of days see measurable rain, 65°F average high, 14% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Traverse City in May is historically a poor month for sun: only 14% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 65°F). July is the clearest month for Traverse City 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 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 May

Clear-sky percentage for Traverse City in May, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early May
1st–15th		 8% n=120 65°F
Late May
16th–end		 19% n=128 65°F
Full month average 14% n=248 65°F

Sunshine & warmth in May

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 May. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early May
1st–15th		 14% n=120
Late May
16th–end		 38% n=128
Full month average 26% n=248
12.6 h median sunshine per day 78% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 33% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 14%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 26%. The 12-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 a poor choice for sun in May: just 14% of days clear historically (n=248). July 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 July — historically the best month for sun in Traverse City.

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 ← this page 14% n=248 All destinations →
June 32% n=240 All destinations →
July 44% n=248 All destinations →
August 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 May?

Sometimes. Traverse City sees measurable rain on 33% of days in May historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Traverse City good for sun in May?

Not usually. Traverse City is historically overcast in May: only 14% of days are clear (avg high 65°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). July 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.