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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Albuquerque in September

Historically one of the better months to visit Albuquerque for sun: 76% of days are clear on average (n=240, avg high 85°F). Every percentage here is a historical average from 8 years of ERA5 data — 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 Albuquerque 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 September

Clear-sky percentage for Albuquerque in September, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early September
1st–15th		 77% n=120 85°F
Late September
16th–end		 76% n=120 85°F
Full month average 76% n=240 85°F

Sunshine & warmth in September

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 Albuquerque in September. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early September
1st–15th		 95% n=120
Late September
16th–end		 98% n=120
Full month average 96% n=240
11.9 h median sunshine per day 96% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 10% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 76%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 96%. The 20-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

Albuquerque clears solidly in September: 76% of days historically (n=240), avg high 85°F. Most trips here in September will find more sun than cloud.

Every month in Albuquerque

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

Historical clear-sky % for Albuquerque, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 0% n=226 All destinations →
March 9% n=248 All destinations →
April 56% n=240 All destinations →
May 79% n=248 All destinations →
June 78% n=240 All destinations →
July 68% n=248 All destinations →
August 70% n=248 All destinations →
September ← this page 76% n=240 All destinations →
October 46% n=248 All destinations →
November 5% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

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.