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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Yellowstone in July

Yellowstone in July: 28% of days see measurable rain, 72°F average high, 24% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Yellowstone in July is historically a poor month for sun: only 24% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 72°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 Yellowstone 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 July

Clear-sky percentage for Yellowstone in July, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early July
1st–15th		 19% n=120 72°F
Late July
16th–end		 28% n=128 72°F
Full month average 24% n=248 72°F

Sunshine & warmth in July

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 Yellowstone in July. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early July
1st–15th		 44% n=120
Late July
16th–end		 59% n=128
Full month average 52% n=248
14.8 h median sunshine per day 99% 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: 24%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 52%. The 28-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

Yellowstone is mostly overcast in July historically: only 24% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 72°F. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

Every month in Yellowstone

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

Historical clear-sky % for Yellowstone, 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 0% n=240 All destinations →
May 0% n=248 All destinations →
June 4% n=240 All destinations →
July ← this page 24% n=248 All destinations →
August 19% n=248 All destinations →
September 8% n=240 All destinations →
October 0% n=248 All destinations →
November 0% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Yellowstone in July?

Sometimes. Yellowstone sees measurable rain on 28% of days in July historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Yellowstone good for sun in July?

Not usually. Yellowstone is historically overcast in July: only 24% of days are clear (avg high 72°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025).

How Yellowstone compares in July

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