At 21°C (70°F) the answer is usually just yes. You are sitting just above the threshold most people use, and in almost every condition the feels-like temperature stays at a level where bare legs are comfortable. There is one combination that spoils it, and it is easy to spot in advance.
At 21 degrees the default answer is yes
Unlike at 18 or 19 degrees, you do not need to do the maths at 21°C. Even fully overcast and calm you still end up at a feels-like of around 20°C — plenty for shorts for most people. At 21°C the sun is a bonus, not a condition.
| Scenario | Air temperature | Feels-like temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny, no wind | 21°C | ~26°C |
| Overcast, no wind | 21°C | ~20°C |
| Overcast, 20 km/h wind | 21°C | ~17°C |
| Overcast, 35 km/h wind | 21°C | ~14°C |
| Rain, 15 km/h wind | 21°C | ~16°C |
Can you wear shorts today?
Check it now for your location — free, no account needed.
The exception: overcast and windy
Look at the table and only one row really drops below the comfort line: overcast with strong wind. At 35 km/h under a thick cloud deck, 21°C feels like 14°C, and bare legs are then too cold for most people to stand around in.
It is specifically the combination that matters. Cloud cover alone costs you about a degree. Wind alone is largely offset by radiant heat when the sun is out. Only when both occur together does 21°C fall back to the level of a chilly 18-degree day.
Coast versus inland
That combination is far more common on the North Sea coast than inland. An overcast 21°C day with a force 5 sea breeze is routine in Vlissingen or Den Helder; in Enschede the same 21°C under the same cloud is usually calmer, and therefore simply comfortable.
If you live near the coast, make a habit of checking the wind direction at 21°C. An onshore wind can easily take three to four degrees off the feels-like.
21 by day, 15 in the evening
Another reason not to look only at the afternoon figure: 21°C is usually reached around three o'clock. After sunset on a clear evening the temperature drops quickly to 14–16°C. If you are staying out, shorts are still a fine choice — but take an extra layer for the rest of you.
Conclusion
21°C is shorts weather for nearly everyone. Only hesitate if it is overcast and windy, or if you will be sitting outside for a long time after sunset. In every other case you can leave the long trousers at home.
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Why 20 degrees is not always shorts weather
20°C sounds like it should be comfortable. And often it is. But add enough wind or cloud cover and it stops feeling that way fairly quickly.