Fresno, CA weather in May
May in Fresno: warm and dry. Highs 83°F, lows 58°F, about 3 days with rain. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 83°F
- Normal low
- 58°F
- Wet days
- 3
- 0.4 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 78°F | 87°F |
| Normal low | 54°F | 61°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 11% | 6% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:05 am / 7:47 pm | 5:42 am / 8:11 pm |
| Daylight | 13.7 h | 14.5 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Pacific Time).
A typical May day
- 6 am59°Fdew point 48°F
- 9 am69°Fdew point 47°F
- Noon78°Fdew point 45°F
- 3 pm82°Fdew point 43°F
- 6 pm80°Fdew point 43°F
- 9 pm71°Fdew point 46°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Fresno Yosemite Intl Airport (4 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 53% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 27%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F10 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more9 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow3 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in1 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per May, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in May
Normal precipitation is 0.4 in; a dry May brings about 0.05 in and a wet one about 0.4 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20202001: average high 93°F
- Coolest May1998: average high 73°F
- Wettest May2019: 2.4 in
- Driest May1992: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading106°F (May 28, 2020)
- Lowest reading43°F (May 11, 2010)
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 | 74°F | 83°F | 91°F |
| Normal low | 51°F | 58°F | 64°F |
| Wet days | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Comfortable days | 18 | 10 | 2 |
| Daylight | 13.2 h | 14.1 h | 14.6 h |
Highs change by +9°F from April and +8°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Furnace Creek, CA162 mi · high 101°F · 1 wet day
- Cooler: Yosemite Valley, CA70 mi · high 71°F · 6 wet days
How Fresno ranks in May
- Normal high102nd warmest of 378 cities; 6th of 60 in California
- Wet days45th driest of 378
- Comfortable days213th most of 339
What to pack for Fresno in May
- Layers – afternoons near 83°F but nights near 58°F
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.1 hours of daylight and highs near 83°F
Heating and cooling
May has 32 heating degree days and 191 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Fresno in May?
The normal high is 83°F and the normal low is 58°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 106°F (most recently on May 28, 2020).
Does it rain a lot in Fresno in May?
About 3 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.4 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2019 (2.4 in); the driest was in 1992, with no measurable precipitation.
Is May a good time to visit Fresno?
May ranks 5th of 12 months on our comfort score for Fresno (64 out of 100). It has about 10 comfortable days and about 9 days at 90°F or hotter. The best months are March and April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Fresno Yosemite Intl Airport (USW00093193), 3.7 mi NE of the city center, 333 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Fresno Yosemite International Airport (723890-93193), 3.7 mi NE of the city center, 334 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.