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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Taos in July

Taos in July is a mixed month for sun: 48% of days historically clear (n=248, avg high 85°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 Taos 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 Taos 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		 52% n=120 85°F
Late July
16th–end		 45% n=128 85°F
Full month average 48% n=248 85°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 Taos 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		 100% n=120
Late July
16th–end		 99% n=128
Full month average 99% n=248
13.8 h median sunshine per day 100% 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: 48%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 99%. The 51-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

Taos in July is genuinely mixed: 48% of days historically clear (n=248), avg high 85°F — roughly even odds. The outcome varies year to year; don't book if you need guaranteed sun.

Every month in Taos

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

Historical clear-sky % for Taos, 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 8% n=240 All destinations →
May 40% n=248 All destinations →
June 64% n=240 All destinations →
July ← this page 48% n=248 All destinations →
August 53% n=248 All destinations →
September 64% n=240 All destinations →
October 17% n=248 All destinations →
November 0% 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.