Fact or Fiction? Colorado Has More Sunny Days Than Florida

The phrase rolls off Coloradans’ tongues easily: Colorado has more days of sunshine than Florida.

But is it true?

Yes, in fact, it is, my dear Coloradan.

Colorado doesn’t outshine a handful of sunny Western and southwestern states. As for Florida, though, it does.

Colorado ranks No. 6 among the sunniest states in the United States, according to the World Population Review.

And the Sunshine State? It comes in at the bottom of the top 10.

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Sunniest States in the U.S.

According to the World Population Review, here’s how top states rank by average annual sunlight megawatts.

1. Arizona (5,755 megawatts)
2. New Mexico (5,642 megawatts)
3. Nevada (5,296 megawatts)
4. Texas (5,137 megawatts)
5. California (5,050 megawatts)
6. Colorado (4,960 megawatts)
7. Oklahoma (4,912 megawatts)
8. Kansas (4,890 megawatts)
9. Utah (4,887 megawatts)
10. Florida (4,859 megawatts)

READ MORE: How Will La Nina Affect Colorado Weather This Year?

Three sunniest cities in Colorado

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports tracked the sunniest cities in the nation and three Colorado cities make the list. Here’s how they rank.

1. Pueblo, CO - 76% average annual possible sunshine over 61 years.
2. Grand Junction, CO - 71% average annual possible sunshine over 56 years.
3. Denver, CO - 69% average annual possible sunshine over 46 years.

Pueblo made the list of the top 20 sunniest cities in the nation, tying with, of all places, Key West, Florida.

Pueblo's sunshine percentage is comparable to cities like Albuquerque, New Mexico, and higher than many cities in Texas and California that are noted for their sunshine.

The top in the nation? Yuma, Arizona.

Sunniest cities in the nation

Ranked by the possible sunshine each year, here’s NOAA’s top 10 sunniest cities.

1. Yuma, AZ - 90%
2. Redding, CA - 88%
3. Las Vegas, NV - 85%
4. Phoenix, AZ - 85%
5. Tucson, AZ - 85%
6. El Paso, TX - 84%
7. Fresno, CA - 79%
8. Reno, NV - 79%
9. Flagstaff, AZ - 78%
10. Sacramento, CA - 78%

Now, let’s hope the sun shines on Northern Colorado more than it did last summer.