Northern Mariana Islands weather by month

In Saipan, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around November 1 and lasts for 7.5 months, ending around June 15. The clearest month is December, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 76% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around June 16 and lasts for 4.5 months, ending around October 31. The cloudiest month is August, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 86% of the time.

This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.

Across the year, average wind speed in Saipan is typically breezy, near 24 km/h, and varies a lot with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around Oct 26 to May 1. The windiest month is December, averaging about 29 km/h (windy).

The calmer part of the year runs from around May 2 to Oct 25, with July the calmest month at about 19 km/h.

Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.

Saipan receives about 5.7 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.7 and 6.8 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 5.1 months, from around Feb 22 to Jul 27. The brightest month is May, averaging about 6.7 kWh/m² (intense).

The dimmest month is December, down near 4.8 kWh/m² — roughly 29% less than the May peak.