Monterey, CA weather in May
May in Monterey: cool and mostly dry. Highs 64°F, lows 49°F, about 5 wet days. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 64°F
- Normal low
- 49°F
- Wet days
- 5
- 0.6 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 63°F | 65°F |
| Normal low | 48°F | 50°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 18% | 14% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:13 am / 7:55 pm | 5:50 am / 8:19 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).
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F10 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph1 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 snow5 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in2 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 0.6 in; a dry May brings about 0.1 in and a wet one about 0.8 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20201997: average high 72°F
- Coolest May1999: average high 60°F
- Wettest May2019: 2.8 in
- Driest May2001: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading93°F (May 16, 2008)
- Lowest reading40°F (May 15, 2011)
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 | 63°F | 64°F | 66°F |
| Normal low | 47°F | 49°F | 51°F |
| Wet days | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| Comfortable days | 9 | 10 | 14 |
| Daylight | 13.1 h | 14.1 h | 14.6 h |
Highs change by +1°F from April and +2°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: San Jose, CA51 mi · high 74°F · 3 wet days
- Drier: Santa Maria, CA140 mi · high 69°F · 2 wet days
How Monterey ranks in May
- Normal high347th warmest of 378 cities; 58th of 60 in California
- Wet days87th driest of 378
- Comfortable days222nd most of 339
Heating and cooling
May has 276 heating degree days and 4 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 9% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Monterey in May?
The normal high is 64°F and the normal low is 49°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest May reading was 40°F (most recently on May 15, 2011).
Does it rain a lot in Monterey in May?
About 5 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.6 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2019 (2.8 in); the driest was in 2001, with no measurable precipitation.
Is May a good time to visit Monterey?
May ranks 6th of 12 months on our comfort score for Monterey (69 out of 100). It has about 10 comfortable days. The best months are July and August.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Monterey (USC00045795), 0.9 mi SW of the city center, 260 ft (241 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: N Y. Mineta Sn Jo Intl Apt (724945-23293), 53 mi N of the city center, 49 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).