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    Cloudy skies

    How cloudy is it? US cities, cloudiest sky first

    Here is how often the sky is mostly cloudy or overcast at the official weather station of 116 US cities, from NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 hourly normals. Mostly cloudy means at least five eighths of the sky covered. Airport sensors see cloud up to about 12,000 feet, so thin high cloud isn’t counted.

    Syracuse is mostly cloudy about 65% of the time. Tucson, about 12%. Seattle, despite its reputation, comes in 6th.

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    1. Syracuse, New York: mostly cloudy about 65%, clear about 20%
    2. Detroit, Michigan: mostly cloudy about 61%, clear about 26%
    3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: mostly cloudy about 61%, clear about 26%
    4. Cleveland, Ohio: mostly cloudy about 61%, clear about 26%
    5. Buffalo, New York: mostly cloudy about 60%, clear about 26%
    6. Seattle, Washington: mostly cloudy about 60%, clear about 27%
    7. Rochester, New York: mostly cloudy about 59%, clear about 27%
    8. Grand Rapids, Michigan: mostly cloudy about 58%, clear about 32%
    9. Portland, Oregon: mostly cloudy about 57%, clear about 32%
    10. Indianapolis, Indiana: mostly cloudy about 55%, clear about 32%
    11. Washington, DC: mostly cloudy about 55%, clear about 30%
    12. Spokane, Washington: mostly cloudy about 55%, clear about 31%
    13. Akron, Ohio: mostly cloudy about 55%, clear about 29%
    14. Lansing, Michigan: mostly cloudy about 54%, clear about 36%
    15. Columbus, Ohio: mostly cloudy about 54%, clear about 32%
    16. Fort Wayne, Indiana: mostly cloudy about 54%, clear about 34%
    17. New York, New York: mostly cloudy about 53%, clear about 31%
    18. Chicago, Illinois: mostly cloudy about 53%, clear about 33%
    19. Louisville, Kentucky: mostly cloudy about 53%, clear about 34%
    20. Newark, New Jersey: mostly cloudy about 53%, clear about 31%
    21. Cincinnati, Ohio: mostly cloudy about 53%, clear about 33%
    22. Burlington, Vermont: mostly cloudy about 52%, clear about 37%
    23. Olympia, Washington: mostly cloudy about 51%, clear about 41%
    24. Baltimore, Maryland: mostly cloudy about 51%, clear about 31%
    25. Boston, Massachusetts: mostly cloudy about 51%, clear about 36%
    26. Minneapolis, Minnesota: mostly cloudy about 51%, clear about 36%
    27. Dayton, Ohio: mostly cloudy about 50%, clear about 38%
    28. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: mostly cloudy about 50%, clear about 34%
    29. St. Louis, Missouri: mostly cloudy about 50%, clear about 35%
    30. Rockford, Illinois: mostly cloudy about 50%, clear about 38%
    31. Nashville, Tennessee: mostly cloudy about 50%, clear about 36%
    32. Albany, New York: mostly cloudy about 50%, clear about 42%
    33. Providence, Rhode Island: mostly cloudy about 50%, clear about 36%
    34. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: mostly cloudy about 49%, clear about 37%
    35. Hartford, Connecticut: mostly cloudy about 49%, clear about 39%
    36. Charlotte, North Carolina: mostly cloudy about 49%, clear about 37%
    37. Houston, Texas: mostly cloudy about 48%, clear about 32%
    38. Richmond, Virginia: mostly cloudy about 48%, clear about 38%
    39. Des Moines, Iowa: mostly cloudy about 47%, clear about 42%
    40. Raleigh, North Carolina: mostly cloudy about 47%, clear about 38%
    41. San Antonio, Texas: mostly cloudy about 47%, clear about 40%
    42. Salt Lake City, Utah: mostly cloudy about 47%, clear about 35%
    43. Binghamton, New York: mostly cloudy about 47%, clear about 48%
    44. Erie, Pennsylvania: mostly cloudy about 46%, clear about 49%
    45. Memphis, Tennessee: mostly cloudy about 45%, clear about 41%
    46. Atlanta, Georgia: mostly cloudy about 45%, clear about 38%
    47. Missoula, Montana: mostly cloudy about 45%, clear about 50%
    48. Scranton, Pennsylvania: mostly cloudy about 45%, clear about 50%
    49. Kansas City, Missouri: mostly cloudy about 44%, clear about 42%
    50. Miami, Florida: mostly cloudy about 44%, clear about 29%
    51. South Bend, Indiana: mostly cloudy about 44%, clear about 50%
    52. Shreveport, Louisiana: mostly cloudy about 43%, clear about 43%
    53. Little Rock, Arkansas: mostly cloudy about 43%, clear about 41%
    54. Jacksonville, Florida: mostly cloudy about 43%, clear about 42%
    55. Greensboro, North Carolina: mostly cloudy about 43%, clear about 46%
    56. Knoxville, Tennessee: mostly cloudy about 42%, clear about 43%
    57. Orlando, Florida: mostly cloudy about 42%, clear about 38%
    58. Duluth, Minnesota: mostly cloudy about 42%, clear about 49%
    59. Dallas, Texas: mostly cloudy about 42%, clear about 44%
    60. Madison, Wisconsin: mostly cloudy about 42%, clear about 51%
    61. Toledo, Ohio: mostly cloudy about 42%, clear about 53%
    62. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: mostly cloudy about 42%, clear about 43%
    63. New Orleans, Louisiana: mostly cloudy about 41%, clear about 41%
    64. Concord, New Hampshire: mostly cloudy about 41%, clear about 54%
    65. Portland, Maine: mostly cloudy about 40%, clear about 52%
    66. Green Bay, Wisconsin: mostly cloudy about 40%, clear about 55%
    67. San Diego, California: mostly cloudy about 40%, clear about 43%
    68. Tampa, Florida: mostly cloudy about 39%, clear about 36%
    69. Chattanooga, Tennessee: mostly cloudy about 39%, clear about 47%
    70. Medford, Oregon: mostly cloudy about 39%, clear about 55%
    71. Columbia, South Carolina: mostly cloudy about 38%, clear about 45%
    72. Omaha, Nebraska: mostly cloudy about 37%, clear about 51%
    73. Birmingham, Alabama: mostly cloudy about 37%, clear about 50%
    74. Fargo, North Dakota: mostly cloudy about 37%, clear about 58%
    75. Lexington, Kentucky: mostly cloudy about 37%, clear about 57%
    76. San Francisco, California: mostly cloudy about 37%, clear about 47%
    77. Billings, Montana: mostly cloudy about 37%, clear about 46%
    78. Dubuque, Iowa: mostly cloudy about 37%, clear about 59%
    79. Asheville, North Carolina: mostly cloudy about 36%, clear about 57%
    80. Corpus Christi, Texas: mostly cloudy about 36%, clear about 49%
    81. Peoria, Illinois: mostly cloudy about 36%, clear about 59%
    82. Waterloo, Iowa: mostly cloudy about 36%, clear about 59%
    83. Sioux Falls, South Dakota: mostly cloudy about 36%, clear about 56%
    84. Quad Cities, Illinois and Iowa: mostly cloudy about 35%, clear about 60%
    85. Bismarck, North Dakota: mostly cloudy about 34%, clear about 61%
    86. Los Angeles, California: mostly cloudy about 34%, clear about 46%
    87. Helena, Montana: mostly cloudy about 34%, clear about 60%
    88. Charleston, South Carolina: mostly cloudy about 34%, clear about 51%
    89. Norfolk, Virginia: mostly cloudy about 34%, clear about 57%
    90. Tallahassee, Florida: mostly cloudy about 33%, clear about 53%
    91. Springfield, Illinois: mostly cloudy about 33%, clear about 62%
    92. Sioux City, Iowa: mostly cloudy about 33%, clear about 63%
    93. Savannah, Georgia: mostly cloudy about 32%, clear about 56%
    94. Jackson, Mississippi: mostly cloudy about 32%, clear about 60%
    95. Mobile, Alabama: mostly cloudy about 32%, clear about 55%
    96. Reno, Nevada: mostly cloudy about 31%, clear about 54%
    97. Albuquerque, New Mexico: mostly cloudy about 31%, clear about 47%
    98. Springfield, Missouri: mostly cloudy about 31%, clear about 64%
    99. Great Falls, Montana: mostly cloudy about 31%, clear about 63%
    100. Lubbock, Texas: mostly cloudy about 29%, clear about 57%
    101. Lincoln, Nebraska: mostly cloudy about 29%, clear about 67%
    102. Rapid City, South Dakota: mostly cloudy about 28%, clear about 67%
    103. Yakima, Washington: mostly cloudy about 28%, clear about 64%
    104. Boise, Idaho: mostly cloudy about 27%, clear about 69%
    105. Pensacola, Florida: mostly cloudy about 27%, clear about 64%
    106. Fresno, California: mostly cloudy about 27%, clear about 60%
    107. Cheyenne, Wyoming: mostly cloudy about 26%, clear about 69%
    108. El Paso, Texas: mostly cloudy about 26%, clear about 57%
    109. Casper, Wyoming: mostly cloudy about 25%, clear about 69%
    110. Honolulu, Hawaii: mostly cloudy about 25%, clear about 45%
    111. Phoenix, Arizona: mostly cloudy about 25%, clear about 57%
    112. Las Vegas, Nevada: mostly cloudy about 24%, clear about 61%
    113. Grand Junction, Colorado: mostly cloudy about 23%, clear about 71%
    114. Amarillo, Texas: mostly cloudy about 23%, clear about 70%
    115. Sacramento, California: mostly cloudy about 18%, clear about 78%
    116. Tucson, Arizona: mostly cloudy about 12%, clear about 84%

    Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, hourly, 1991 to 2020.