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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Virginia Beach in October

Virginia Beach in October: 26% of days see measurable rain, 70°F average high, 19% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Virginia Beach in October is historically a poor month for sun: only 19% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 70°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 October

Clear-sky percentage for Virginia Beach 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		 28% n=120 70°F
Late October
16th–end		 10% n=128 70°F
Full month average 19% n=248 70°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 Virginia Beach 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		 47% n=120
Late October
16th–end		 18% n=128
Full month average 32% n=248
10.5 h median sunshine per day 73% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 26% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 19%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 32%. The 13-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 October: just 19% of days clear historically (n=248). 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 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 ← this page 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 October?

Sometimes. Virginia Beach sees measurable rain on 26% of days in October historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Virginia Beach good for sun in October?

Not usually. Virginia Beach is historically overcast in October: only 19% of days are clear (avg high 70°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). September is historically far better for sun here.

How Virginia Beach compares in October

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.