Anchorage, AK weather in May
May in Anchorage: cool, with some rain. Highs 56°F, lows 40°F, about 7 days with rain. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 56°F
- Normal low
- 40°F
- Wet days
- 7
- 0.7 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 52°F | 60°F |
| Normal low | 36°F | 44°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 19% | 24% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 5:50 am / 10:03 pm | 4:37 am / 11:17 pm |
| Daylight | 16.2 h | 18.7 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Alaska Time).
A typical May day
- 6 am43°Fdew point 35°F
- 9 am49°Fdew point 35°F
- Noon54°Fdew point 35°F
- 3 pm56°Fdew point 34°F
- 6 pm55°Fdew point 34°F
- 9 pm51°Fdew point 34°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Anchorage Merrill Fld (2 mi away); average wind 5 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F4 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph0 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow7 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in2 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below3 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more0 of 31
Average days per May, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain and snow in May
Normal precipitation is 0.7 in; a dry May brings about 0.3 in and a wet one about 0.9 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare. Normal snowfall is 0.3 in.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20202014: average high 62°F
- Coolest May2012: average high 53°F
- Wettest May2019: 2.2 in
- Driest May2010: 0.08 in
- Highest reading77°F (May 21, 2002)
- Lowest reading24°F (May 3, 2001)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
May compared with April and June
| April | May | June | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 45°F | 56°F | 63°F |
| Normal low | 30°F | 40°F | 48°F |
| Wet days | 5 | 7 | 9 |
| Comfortable days | 0 | 4 | 12 |
| Daylight | 14.8 h | 17.5 h | 19.2 h |
Highs change by +11°F from April and +7°F into June.
How Anchorage ranks in May
- Normal high374th warmest of 378 cities; 5th of 8 in Alaska
- Wet days103rd driest of 378
- Comfortable days271st most of 339
What to pack for Anchorage in May
- A warm jacket – lows near 40°F, highs near 56°F
Frost in May
The last spring frost typically comes around May 5; in 1 year in 10 it comes after May 15. All frost dates for Anchorage.
Heating and cooling
May has 522 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Anchorage in May?
The normal high is 56°F and the normal low is 40°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest May reading was 24°F (May 3, 2001).
Does it rain a lot in Anchorage in May?
About 7 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.7 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2019 (2.2 in); the driest was in 2010 (0.08 in).
Does it snow in Anchorage in May?
Yes. Normal snowfall in May is 0.3 in.
Is May a good time to visit Anchorage?
May ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Anchorage (63 out of 100). It has about 4 comfortable days. The best month is July.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Anchorage Intl Airport (USW00026451), 5.4 mi SW of the city center, 120 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour: Anchorage Merrill Fld (USW00026409), 1.5 mi E of the city center, 138 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Merrill Field Airport (702735-26409), 1.4 mi E of the city center, 126 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).