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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Sarasota in March

Sarasota in March is a mixed month for sun: 49% of days historically clear (n=248, avg high 77°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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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		 44% n=120 77°F
Late March
16th–end		 53% n=128 77°F
Full month average 49% n=248 77°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 Sarasota 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		 73% n=120
Late March
16th–end		 82% n=128
Full month average 78% n=248
11.3 h median sunshine per day 93% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 22% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 49%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 78%. The 29-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

Sarasota in March is genuinely mixed: 49% of days historically clear (n=248), avg high 77°F — roughly even odds. The outcome varies year to year; don't book if you need guaranteed sun.

Every month in Sarasota

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

Historical clear-sky % for Sarasota, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 17% n=248 All destinations →
February 38% n=226 All destinations →
March ← this page 49% n=248 All destinations →
April 50% n=240 All destinations →
May 40% n=248 All destinations →
June 8% n=240 All destinations →
July 5% n=248 All destinations →
August 5% n=248 All destinations →
September 11% n=240 All destinations →
October 39% n=248 All destinations →
November 42% n=240 All destinations →
December 31% 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.