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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Orlando in March

Orlando in March is a mixed month for sun: 45% of days historically clear (n=248, avg high 81°F). The outcome varies year to year — check the early/late split below. 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 Orlando 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 March

Clear-sky percentage for Orlando in March, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early March
1st–15th		 41% n=120 81°F
Late March
16th–end		 48% n=128 81°F
Full month average 45% n=248 81°F

Sunshine & warmth in March

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 Orlando in March. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early March
1st–15th		 78% n=120
Late March
16th–end		 84% n=128
Full month average 81% n=248
11.0 h median sunshine per day 86% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 23% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 45%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 81%. The 36-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

Orlando in March is genuinely mixed: 45% of days historically clear (n=248), avg high 81°F — roughly even odds. The outcome varies year to year; don't book if you need guaranteed sun.

Every month in Orlando

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

Historical clear-sky % for Orlando, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 20% n=248 All destinations →
February 33% n=226 All destinations →
March ← this page 45% n=248 All destinations →
April 44% n=240 All destinations →
May 30% n=248 All destinations →
June 7% n=240 All destinations →
July 2% n=248 All destinations →
August 3% n=248 All destinations →
September 10% n=240 All destinations →
October 30% n=248 All destinations →
November 32% n=240 All destinations →
December 26% 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.