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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Virginia Beach in April

Virginia Beach in April: 30% of days see measurable rain, 67°F average high, 18% of days historically clear (n=240, ERA5 2018–2025).

Virginia Beach in April is historically a poor month for sun: only 18% of days clear across 8 years (n=240, avg high 67°F). September is the clearest month for Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach 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 April

Clear-sky percentage for Virginia Beach in April, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early April
1st–15th		 14% n=120 67°F
Late April
16th–end		 22% n=120 67°F
Full month average 18% n=240 67°F

Sunshine & warmth in April

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 Virginia Beach in April. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early April
1st–15th		 26% n=120
Late April
16th–end		 35% n=120
Full month average 30% n=240
11.8 h median sunshine per day 82% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 30% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 18%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 30%. 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

Virginia Beach is a poor choice for sun in April: just 18% of days clear historically (n=240). September 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 September — historically the best month for sun in Virginia Beach.

Every month in Virginia Beach

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

Historical clear-sky % for Virginia Beach, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 2% n=226 All destinations →
March 6% n=248 All destinations →
April ← this page 18% n=240 All destinations →
May 26% n=248 All destinations →
June 37% n=240 All destinations →
July 32% n=248 All destinations →
August 29% n=248 All destinations →
September 38% n=240 All destinations →
October 19% n=248 All destinations →
November 4% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Virginia Beach in April?

Sometimes. Virginia Beach sees measurable rain on 30% of days in April historically (n=240 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Virginia Beach good for sun in April?

Not usually. Virginia Beach is historically overcast in April: only 18% of days are clear (avg high 67°F, n=240 days, ERA5 2018–2025). September is historically far better for sun here.

How Virginia Beach compares in April

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Virginia Beach 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.