Sunshine hours in Sofia: 2,259 hours a year, month by month

Sofia gets 2,259 hours of sunshine a year on average (6.2 a day). Sunniest month: July with 313 hours. Every month, measured 1991–2020.

• Sofia gets 2,259 hours of sunshine a year on average, 6.2 a day – 51% of the astronomically possible. The sunniest month is July with 313 hours (10.1 a day), the dullest December with 69 (2.2 a day).
• Number 3 of 4 large cities in Bulgaria.
• Nearest weather station: Sofia, 7 km away – 1991–2020 average, Deutscher Wetterdienst.

Sunshine hours month by month

• January: 88 h · 2.8 h a day · 30 %
• February: 117 h · 4.2 h a day · 40 %
• March: 169 h · 5.5 h a day · 46 %
• April: 196 h · 6.5 h a day · 49 %
• May: 234 h · 7.5 h a day · 52 %
• June: 267 h · 8.9 h a day · 58 %
• July: 313 h · 10.1 h a day · 67 %
• August: 307 h · 9.9 h a day · 71 %
• September: 226 h · 7.5 h a day · 60 %
• October: 166 h · 5.4 h a day · 48 %
• November: 107 h · 3.6 h a day · 36 %
• December: 69 h · 2.2 h a day · 24 %

Questions about sunshine hours

• How many hours of sunshine does Sofia get a year? On average over 1991–2020 the sun shines in Sofia for 2,259 hours a year – 6.2 hours a day and 51% of the time the sun is above the horizon.
• What is the sunniest month in Sofia? July, with 313 hours of sunshine, 10.1 a day on average. The least sun comes in December: 69 hours, 2.2 a day.
• Is Sofia a sunny city? Among the 4 large cities in Bulgaria with measurements, Sofia ranks number 3.
• Where do the figures come from? From the 1991–2020 climate normals of Deutscher Wetterdienst: Germany from its own station network, the rest of the world from the CLIMAT reports of the national weather services. Sofia uses the station Sofia.
• What counts as an hour of sunshine? By the World Meteorological Organization's definition the sun is shining once its direct radiation exceeds 120 watts per square metre. Just after sunrise and before sunset it is often too weak – which is why even deserts never reach 100%.

The sunniest large cities: United States

• 1. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 2. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 3. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 4. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 5. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 6. Fresno: 3,565 h a year
• 7. Chico: 3,542 h a year
• 8. Colorado Springs: 3,463 h a year
• 9. Albuquerque: 3,414 h a year
• 10. Amarillo: 3,298 h a year

The cloudiest large cities: United States

• 1. Pittsburgh: 1,972 h a year
• 2. Anchorage: 2,063 h a year
• 3. Syracuse: 2,120 h a year
• 4. Seattle: 2,170 h a year
• 5. Columbus: 2,182 h a year
• 6. Grand Rapids: 2,188 h a year
• 7. Buffalo: 2,206 h a year
• 8. Meads: 2,259 h a year
• 9. Cleveland: 2,281 h a year
• 10. Rochester: 2,299 h a year

The sunniest large cities in the world

• 1. Mexicali: 4,017 h a year
• 2. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 3. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 4. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 5. Ciudad Juárez: 3,763 h a year
• 6. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 7. Dubai: 3,610 h a year
• 8. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 9. Victoria de Durango: 3,573 h a year
• 10. Fresno: 3,565 h a year

The cloudiest large cities in the world

• 1. Chengdu: 962 h a year
• 2. Chongqing: 985 h a year
• 3. Sukabumi: 1,082 h a year
• 4. Glasgow: 1,153 h a year
• 5. Tanjung Pinang: 1,172 h a year
• 6. Medan: 1,201 h a year
• 7. Samarinda: 1,275 h a year
• 8. Sungai Penuh: 1,311 h a year
• 9. Limerick: 1,339 h a year
• 10. Huaihua: 1,352 h a year

• Data: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), sunshine duration climate normals 1991–2020, CC BY 4.0. Possible hours: time between sunrise and sunset.