Sacramento, CA weather in May
Sacramento is warm and mostly dry in May: highs average 81°F and nights drop to about 54°F. There are about 4 days with rain. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 81°F
- Normal low
- 54°F
- Wet days
- 4
- 0.9 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 78°F | 85°F |
| Normal low | 51°F | 57°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 14% | 9% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:08 am / 7:57 pm | 5:43 am / 8:23 pm |
| Daylight | 13.8 h | 14.7 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 am55°Fdew point 48°F
- 9 am66°Fdew point 49°F
- Noon75°Fdew point 48°F
- 3 pm78°Fdew point 47°F
- 6 pm73°Fdew point 48°F
- 9 pm62°Fdew point 49°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Sacramento Executive Airport (5 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 78% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 17%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F13 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more7 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow4 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 0.9 in; a dry May brings about 0.1 in and a wet one about 1.3 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20202001: average high 92°F
- Coolest May1998: average high 72°F
- Wettest May2019: 3.4 in
- Driest May1992: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading106°F (May 31, 2001)
- Lowest reading41°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 | 81°F | 89°F |
| Normal low | 49°F | 54°F | 59°F |
| Wet days | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Comfortable days | 18 | 13 | 4 |
| Daylight | 13.2 h | 14.3 h | 14.8 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +8°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Cooler: Santa Rosa, CA67 mi · high 75°F · 4 wet days
How Sacramento ranks in May
- Normal high119th warmest of 378 cities; 13th of 60 in California
- Wet days70th driest of 378
- Comfortable days161st most of 339
What to pack for Sacramento in May
- Layers – afternoons near 81°F but nights near 54°F
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.3 hours of daylight and highs near 81°F
Heating and cooling
May has 45 heating degree days and 127 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Sacramento in May?
The normal high is 81°F and the normal low is 54°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 106°F (May 31, 2001).
Does it rain a lot in Sacramento in May?
About 4 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.9 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2019 (3.4 in); the driest was in 1992, with no measurable precipitation.
Is May a good time to visit Sacramento?
May ranks 3rd of 12 months on our comfort score for Sacramento (69 out of 100). It has about 13 comfortable days and about 7 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall and frost dates: Sacramento 5 Ese (USW00023271), 4.6 mi ESE of the city center, 38 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snow depth: Nicolaus #2 (USC00046194), 24 mi N of the city center, 43 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Sacramento Executive Airport (USW00023232), 5.2 mi S of the city center, 15 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Sacramento Executive Airport (724830-23232), 5.2 mi S of the city center, 19 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.