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Miami is pathetic compared to their old NOAA data. I found a site at Everglades City, FL near Naples. Naples, FL is supposed to average 2700 hours, and by this method they are way way off.
2013 = 2,451 hours, 2014 = 2,506 hours, and 2015 = 2,316 hours. Three year average 2,424 hours, a whopping 313 hours off the old NOAA data.
Wow, Florida isn't nearly as sunny as it is purported to be lol. So much for the sunshine state logo. Unless the last three years have been exceptionally cloudy.
I calculated Yuma, AZ
2013 = 3,717 hours, 2014 = 3,794 hours, and 2015 = 3,562 hours. Three year average of 3,691 hours.
Yuma average going by old NOAA numbers was 4,000 hours, so way overstated there also by 309 hours.
Now there was a day missing each year, and also these are not bright sunshine sensors but an approximation using solar radiation and that University of CA excel spreadsheet program.
But the bottom line is that the old US method definitely overstated bright sunshine hours.
What I'm learning is that US cities are no where near as sunny as they are purported to be by the old NOAA data. So, everyone in the rest of the world need to keep that in mind when thinking about how sunny the US supposedly is.
Miami is pathetic compared to their old NOAA data. I found a site at Everglades City, FL near Naples. Naples, FL is supposed to average 2700 hours, and by this method they are way way off.
2013 = 2,451 hours, 2014 = 2,506 hours, and 2015 = 2,316 hours. Three year average 2,424 hours, a whopping 313 hours off the old NOAA data.
Wow, Florida isn't nearly as sunny as it is purported to be lol. So much for the sunshine state logo. Unless the last three years have been exceptionally cloudy.
I calculated Yuma, AZ
2013 = 3,717 hours, 2014 = 3,794 hours, and 2015 = 3,562 hours. Three year average of 3,691 hours.
Yuma average going by old NOAA numbers was 4,000 hours, so way overstated there also by 309 hours.
Now there was a day missing each year, and also these are not bright sunshine sensors but an approximation using solar radiation and that University of CA excel spreadsheet program.
But the bottom line is that the old US method definitely overstated bright sunshine hours.
What I'm learning is that US cities are no where near as sunny as they are purported to be by the old NOAA data. So, everyone in the rest of the world need to keep that in mind when thinking about how sunny the US supposedly is.
Makes Calama, Chile's purported average of over 3900 hours look pretty good.
Miami is pathetic compared to their old NOAA data. I found a site at Everglades City, FL near Naples. Naples, FL is supposed to average 2700 hours, and by this method they are way way off.
2013 = 2,451 hours, 2014 = 2,506 hours, and 2015 = 2,316 hours. Three year average 2,424 hours, a whopping 313 hours off the old NOAA data.
Wow, Florida isn't nearly as sunny as it is purported to be lol. So much for the sunshine state logo. Unless the last three years have been exceptionally cloudy.
I calculated Yuma, AZ
2013 = 3,717 hours, 2014 = 3,794 hours, and 2015 = 3,562 hours. Three year average of 3,691 hours.
Yuma average going by old NOAA numbers was 4,000 hours, so way overstated there also by 309 hours.
Now there was a day missing each year, and also these are not bright sunshine sensors but an approximation using solar radiation and that University of CA excel spreadsheet program.
But the bottom line is that the old US method definitely overstated bright sunshine hours.
What I'm learning is that US cities are no where near as sunny as they are purported to be by the old NOAA data. So, everyone in the rest of the world need to keep that in mind when thinking about how sunny the US supposedly is.
So you think Miami's averages are closer to 2900? How about this year? Jan and Feb this year were pretty cloudy, as evidenced by a period of about 140 hours where the temperature stayed below 70F while not dropping below 46F, however, it feels like the overcast this winter has probably been canceled out by the unrelenting sun of Mar/April/May.
So you think Miami's averages are closer to 2900? How about this year? Jan and Feb this year were pretty cloudy, as evidenced by a period of about 140 hours where the temperature stayed below 70F while not dropping below 46F, however, it feels like the overcast this winter has probably been canceled out by the unrelenting sun of Mar/April/May.
No Miami is much less sunny than purported to be. The last three years averaged less than 2500 hours so what do you think? It is no where near 2900 hours which most people in other countries who have visited would agree it is no where near as sunny as the Med. I checked Sebring, FL and similar hours there.
Yuma is not 4,000 hours and the last three years have been drought years.
You would think that a place like Yuma should see the closest figures to the NOAA method with the Foster since they have more days of 100% sun throughout the year. My local weather met said to me via email that the Foster and the Kipp Zonen is almost identical on mostly sunny days. The days with cirrus clouds is where they differed. Maybe Yuma does have many days with cirrus clouds. Still, even these last 3 years the difference is under 10%, and I would suspect over a 30 year period it's probably closer to 5% for Yuma.
Last edited by chicagogeorge; 05-31-2016 at 07:15 AM..
No Miami is much less sunny than purported to be. The last three years averaged less than 2500 hours so what do you think? It is no where near 2900 hours which most people in other countries who have visited would agree it is no where near as sunny as the Med. I checked Sebring, FL and similar hours there.
But that's not for Miami, Everglades city as you said is closer to Naples (Which according to old averages had about 2750 hours of sun) Officially Miami has 3154
But that's not for Miami, Everglades city as you said is closer to Naples (Which according to old averages had about 2750 hours of sun) Officially Miami has 3154
Based on a lot of cities I looked at out in the South, their sunshine hours really are not very different from here, around 2300-2500. I've looked at central MS, Georgia, Columbia, SC etc. Not one got over 2500 hours in the last three years. Sebring, FL was the same as Everglades City. You really think it varies that much from Miami to Naples. The old system measured sunshine at 80watts so hazy days were listed as bright sunshine. Bright sunshine is blazing clear sunshine, not hazy sun. The US East must get lots of hazy sunshine cause no where in the South is measuring up to their NOAA hours.
You would think that a place like Yuma should see the closest figures to the NOAA method with the Foster since they have more days of 100% sun throughout the year. My local weather met said to me via email that the Foster and the Kipp Zonen is almost identical on mostly sunny days. The days with cirrus clouds is where they differed. Maybe Yuma does have many days with cirrus clouds. Still, even these last 3 years the difference is under 10%, and I would suspect over a 30 year period it's probably closer to 5% for Yuma.
Dr. Diamond emailed me again, and told me there is just no way NOAA will ever measure sun hours again. It was made the lowest priority by NOAA due to funding cuts and constraints from Congress. It is no secret many in Congress don't even feel we need a National Weather Service. Bottom line is that we will never get sunshine data for cities all over the US that are specifically measured for bright sunshine and are checked and rechecked for accuracy like temperature data. Kind of pathetic but what do you expect from the greatest most exceptional country in the world lol.
And George, in the East the numbers are way off particularly in Florida and the South. I never really understood why the Southeast would be much sunnier than the Mid-Atlantic, and according to the last three years, it isn't at all. Maybe even lower.
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My local weather met said to me via email that the Foster and the Kipp Zonen is almost identical on mostly sunny days. The days with cirrus clouds is where they differed. Maybe Yuma does have many days with cirrus clouds. 
