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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Wilmington in November

Wilmington in November: 28% of days see measurable rain, 66°F average high, 8% of days historically clear (n=240, ERA5 2018–2025).

Wilmington in November is historically a poor month for sun: only 8% of days clear across 8 years (n=240, avg high 66°F). October is the clearest month for Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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 November

Clear-sky percentage for Wilmington in November, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early November
1st–15th		 14% n=120 66°F
Late November
16th–end		 2% n=120 66°F
Full month average 8% n=240 66°F

Sunshine & warmth in November

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 Wilmington in November. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early November
1st–15th		 37% n=120
Late November
16th–end		 10% n=120
Full month average 24% n=240
9.9 h median sunshine per day 69% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 28% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 8%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 24%. The 16-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

Wilmington is a poor choice for sun in November: just 8% of days clear historically (n=240). October 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 October — historically the best month for sun in Wilmington.

Every month in Wilmington

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

Historical clear-sky % for Wilmington, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 1% n=248 All destinations →
February 7% n=226 All destinations →
March 12% n=248 All destinations →
April 32% n=240 All destinations →
May 34% n=248 All destinations →
June 22% n=240 All destinations →
July 16% n=248 All destinations →
August 19% n=248 All destinations →
September 36% n=240 All destinations →
October 40% n=248 All destinations →
November ← this page 8% n=240 All destinations →
December 3% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Wilmington in November?

Sometimes. Wilmington sees measurable rain on 28% of days in November historically (n=240 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Wilmington good for sun in November?

Not usually. Wilmington is historically overcast in November: only 8% of days are clear (avg high 66°F, n=240 days, ERA5 2018–2025). October 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.