Ketchikan, AK weather in May
May in Ketchikan: cool, with rain on most days. Highs 57°F, lows 43°F, about 16 wet days. Keep rain gear handy.
- Normal high
- 57°F
- Normal low
- 43°F
- Wet days
- 16
- 8.7 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 54°F | 60°F |
| Normal low | 40°F | 47°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 56% | 53% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 5:04 am / 8:22 pm | 4:13 am / 9:14 pm |
| Daylight | 15.3 h | 17.0 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 am47°Fdew point 43°F
- 9 am51°Fdew point 42°F
- Noon54°Fdew point 42°F
- 3 pm55°Fdew point 42°F
- 6 pm53°Fdew point 42°F
- 9 pm48°Fdew point 43°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Ketchikan Intl Airport (3 mi away); average wind 8 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 snow16 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in12 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below1 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 in May
Normal precipitation is 8.7 in; a dry May brings about 4.5 in and a wet one about 10.8 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 5 days bring half an inch or more, and about 3 an inch or more. Snow is very rare.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20202015: average high 64°F
- Coolest May1999: average high 50°F
- Wettest May2001: 22.4 in
- Driest May2015: 0.7 in
- Highest reading78°F (May 9, 2020)
- Lowest reading27°F (May 3, 2002)
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 | 50°F | 57°F | 61°F |
| Normal low | 37°F | 43°F | 49°F |
| Wet days | 19 | 16 | 16 |
| Comfortable days | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| Daylight | 14.2 h | 16.2 h | 17.4 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +4°F into June.
How Ketchikan ranks in May
- Normal high373rd warmest of 378 cities; 4th of 8 in Alaska
- Wet days375th driest of 378
- Comfortable days264th most of 339
What to pack for Ketchikan in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 16 days
Heating and cooling
May has 462 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 7% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Ketchikan in May?
The normal high is 57°F and the normal low is 43°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest May reading was 27°F (May 3, 2002).
Does it rain a lot in Ketchikan in May?
About 16 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 8.7 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2001 (22.4 in); the driest was in 2015 (0.7 in).
Is May a good time to visit Ketchikan?
May ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Ketchikan (56 out of 100). It has about 4 comfortable days. The best months are July and August.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Ketchikan Intl Airport (USW00025325), 2.8 mi WNW of the city center, 76 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Annette Island Airport (USW00025308), 21 mi S of the city center, 109 ft (69 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Ketchikan Intl Airport (703950-25325), 3.2 mi WNW of the city center, 84 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).