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Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Island of Skye United Kingdom

In Island of Skye, the summers are cool and windy; the winters are long, very cold, wet, and extremely windy; and it is mostly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 36°F to 61°F and is rarely below 29°F or above 67°F.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Island of Skye for warm-weather activities is from early July to mid August.

Climate in Island of Skye

very coldcoldcoolcoldJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow46%46%27%27%overcastclearprecipitation: 5.6 inprecipitation: 5.6 in2.1 in2.1 inmuggy: 0%muggy: 0%0%0%drydrytourism score: 4.5tourism score: 4.50.00.0
Island of Skye weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 3.1 months, from June 10 to September 12, with an average daily high temperature above 57°F. The hottest month of the year in Island of Skye is July, with an average high of 60°F and low of 51°F.

The cool season lasts for 4.1 months, from November 20 to March 24, with an average daily high temperature below 46°F. The coldest month of the year in Island of Skye is February, with an average low of 36°F and high of 43°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in Island of Skye

Average High and Low Temperature in Island of SkyewarmcoolcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°FFeb 1743°FFeb 1743°FAug 161°FAug 161°F36°F36°F52°F52°FJun 1057°FJun 1057°FSep 1257°FSep 1257°FNov 2046°FNov 2046°FMar 2446°FMar 2446°F47°F47°F49°F49°F39°F39°F38°F38°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 43°F43°F45°F49°F54°F58°F60°F60°F57°F52°F47°F44°F
Temp. 40°F39°F41°F44°F49°F53°F56°F56°F53°F48°F44°F40°F
Low 36°F36°F37°F39°F43°F48°F51°F51°F48°F44°F40°F37°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in Island of Skye

Average Hourly Temperature in Island of SkyeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowvery coldvery coldcoldcool
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.
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© OpenStreetMap contributors

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In Island of Skye, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year in Island of Skye begins around April 5 and lasts for 6.5 months, ending around October 20.

The clearest month of the year in Island of Skye is May, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 45% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around October 20 and lasts for 5.5 months, ending around April 5.

The cloudiest month of the year in Island of Skye is January, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 72% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in Island of Skye

Cloud Cover Categories in Island of SkyeclearercloudiercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%May 2246%May 2246%Jan 2827%Jan 2827%Apr 536%Apr 536%Oct 2037%Oct 2037%NowNowclearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercast
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 72%71%69%61%55%57%57%58%60%63%68%70%
Clearer 28%29%31%39%45%43%43%42%40%37%32%30%

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Island of Skye varies throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 7.0 months, from August 22 to March 23, with a greater than 46% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Island of Skye is January, with an average of 18.0 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 5.0 months, from March 23 to August 22. The month with the fewest wet days in Island of Skye is May, with an average of 10.1 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of rain alone in Island of Skye is January, with an average of 17.3 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 58% on January 4.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Island of Skye

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Island of SkyewetwetdryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jan 360%Jan 360%May 1532%May 1532%Aug 2246%Aug 2246%Mar 2346%Mar 2346%NowNowrainmixed
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rain 17.3d13.9d14.2d10.8d10.1d10.3d12.5d13.8d14.7d16.5d16.6d17.0d
Mixed 0.6d0.7d0.5d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d0.4d
Snow 0.1d0.1d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d
Any 18.0d14.6d14.8d11.0d10.1d10.3d12.5d13.8d14.7d16.5d16.7d17.4d

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Island of Skye experiences significant seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

Rain falls throughout the year in Island of Skye. The month with the most rain in Island of Skye is January, with an average rainfall of 5.4 inches.

The month with the least rain in Island of Skye is May, with an average rainfall of 2.2 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in Island of Skye

Average Monthly Rainfall in Island of SkyeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 in0 in2 in2 in4 in4 in6 in6 in8 in8 in10 in10 inDec 315.6 inDec 315.6 inMay 192.1 inMay 192.1 inNowNow
The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rainfall 5.4″4.3″3.8″2.5″2.2″2.4″2.8″3.5″4.2″4.7″5.1″5.3″

The length of the day in Island of Skye varies extremely over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 6 hours, 38 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 17 hours, 59 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Island of Skye

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Island of SkyeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 9 minMar 2012 hr, 9 minMar 2017 hr, 59 minJun 2017 hr, 59 minJun 2012 hr, 12 minSep 2212 hr, 12 minSep 226 hr, 38 minDec 216 hr, 38 minDec 21nightnightdayNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 7.4h9.5h11.9h14.4h16.6h17.9h17.2h15.1h12.7h10.3h8.0h6.8h

The earliest sunrise is at 4:27 AM on June 18, and the latest sunrise is 4 hours, 39 minutes later at 9:05 AM on December 27. The earliest sunset is at 3:40 PM on December 15, and the latest sunset is 6 hours, 46 minutes later at 10:26 PM on June 23.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in Island of Skye during 2024, starting in the spring on March 31, lasting 6.9 months, and ending in the fall on October 27.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in Island of Skye

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in Island of SkyeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMJun 184:27 AMJun 184:27 AM10:26 PMJun 2310:26 PMJun 23Dec 153:40 PMDec 153:40 PM9:05 AMDec 279:05 AMDec 27Mar 31DSTMar 31DSTDSTOct 27DSTOct 27daynightnightnightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunsetNowNow
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray. The transitions to and from daylight saving time are indicated by the 'DST' labels.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Island of Skye

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Island of SkyeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM0000101010202030304040500001010101020203030404050956NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in Island of Skye

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The perceived humidity level in Island of Skye, as measured by the percentage of time in which the humidity comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable, does not vary significantly over the course of the year, remaining a virtually constant 0% throughout.

Humidity Comfort Levels in Island of Skye

Humidity Comfort Levels in Island of SkyeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Feb 40%Feb 40%Aug 50%Aug 50%NowNowdrydrycomfortablecomfortable
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Island of Skye experiences extreme seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 6.0 months, from September 30 to March 30, with average wind speeds of more than 15.9 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Island of Skye is January, with an average hourly wind speed of 20.0 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 6.0 months, from March 30 to September 30. The calmest month of the year in Island of Skye is July, with an average hourly wind speed of 11.7 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in Island of Skye

Average Wind Speed in Island of SkyewindywindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph5 mph5 mph10 mph10 mph15 mph15 mph20 mph20 mph25 mph25 mph30 mph30 mphJan 720.2 mphJan 720.2 mphJul 2311.6 mphJul 2311.6 mphSep 3015.9 mphSep 3015.9 mphMar 3015.9 mphMar 3015.9 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 20.018.717.414.412.712.011.712.615.016.717.918.9

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Island of Skye varies throughout the year.

The wind is most often from the west for 1.1 weeks, from June 28 to July 6, with a peak percentage of 34% on July 2. The wind is most often from the south for 12 months, from July 6 to June 28, with a peak percentage of 41% on January 1.

Wind Direction in Island of Skye

Wind Direction in Island of SkyeSSJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowwestsoutheastnorth
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

Island of Skye is located near a large body of water (e.g., ocean, sea, or large lake). This section reports on the wide-area average surface temperature of that water.

The average water temperature experiences some seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The time of year with warmer water lasts for 3.4 months, from July 5 to October 18, with an average temperature above 54°F. The month of the year in Island of Skye with the warmest water is August, with an average temperature of 56°F.

The time of year with cooler water lasts for 3.5 months, from January 13 to April 30, with an average temperature below 47°F. The month of the year in Island of Skye with the coolest water is March, with an average temperature of 45°F.

Average Water Temperature in Island of Skye

Average Water Temperature in Island of SkyewarmcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec42°F42°F44°F44°F46°F46°F48°F48°F50°F50°F52°F52°F54°F54°F56°F56°F58°F58°F60°F60°FAug 1656°FAug 1656°F45°FMar 645°FMar 6Jul 554°FJul 554°FOct 1854°FOct 1854°FJan 1347°FJan 1347°FApr 3047°FApr 3047°FNowNow
The daily average water temperature (purple line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
WaterJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Temperature 47°F46°F45°F46°F49°F52°F55°F56°F55°F54°F52°F50°F

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Island of Skye throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Island of Skye for general outdoor tourist activities is from early July to mid August, with a peak score in the last week of July.

Tourism Score in Island of Skye

Tourism Score in Island of Skyebest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810104.54.50.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationtourism score
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Island of Skye for hot-weather activities is from mid July to early August, with a peak score in the third week of July.

Beach/Pool Score in Island of Skye

Beach/Pool Score in Island of SkyeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810100.30.30.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitation
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

The growing season in Island of Skye typically lasts for 7.6 months (234 days), from around April 3 to around November 23, rarely starting before March 5 or after May 7, and rarely ending before October 27 or after December 25.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Island of Skye

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Island of Skyegrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%50%Apr 350%Apr 350%Nov 2350%Nov 2390%May 790%May 790%Oct 2790%Oct 2710%Mar 510%Mar 510%Dec 2510%Dec 250%Jan 270%Jan 27Jul 31100%Jul 31100%very coldcoldcool
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms in Island of Skye should appear around June 7, only rarely appearing before May 25 or after June 26.

Growing Degree Days in Island of Skye

Growing Degree Days in Island of SkyeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F100°F100°F200°F200°F300°F300°F400°F400°F500°F500°F600°F600°F700°F700°F800°F800°FJun 790°FJun 790°FDec 31684°FDec 31684°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences extreme seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 3.3 months, from April 30 to August 7, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 4.5 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Island of Skye is June, with an average of 5.5 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 4.3 months, from October 17 to February 27, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 1.3 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Island of Skye is December, with an average of 0.3 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Island of Skye

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Island of SkyebrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWhJun 135.6 kWhJun 135.6 kWhDec 210.2 kWhDec 210.2 kWhApr 304.5 kWhApr 304.5 kWhAug 74.5 kWhAug 74.5 kWhOct 171.3 kWhOct 171.3 kWhFeb 271.3 kWhFeb 271.3 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 0.41.02.03.75.15.55.24.22.71.40.60.3

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Island of Skye are 57.300 deg latitude, -6.250 deg longitude, and 0 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Island of Skye is essentially flat, with a maximum elevation change of 0 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 0 feet. Within 10 miles is also essentially flat (0 feet). Within 50 miles is also essentially flat (0 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Island of Skye is covered by herbaceous vegetation (54%), grassland (33%), and trees (12%), within 10 miles by water (22%) and herbaceous vegetation (22%), and within 50 miles by water (57%) and shrubs (15%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Island of Skye, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

The details of the data sources used for this report can be found on the Portree page.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.