Santa Maria, CA weather in May
Expect mild, dry weather in Santa Maria in May, with highs near 69°F and lows near 49°F. Rain falls on about 2 days. Great for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 69°F
- Normal low
- 49°F
- Wet days
- 2
- 0.4 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 69°F | 70°F |
| Normal low | 47°F | 50°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 10% | 5% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:10 am / 7:46 pm | 5:49 am / 8:09 pm |
| Daylight | 13.6 h | 14.3 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 am51°Fdew point 48°F
- 9 am62°Fdew point 49°F
- Noon67°Fdew point 50°F
- 3 pm66°Fdew point 50°F
- 6 pm59°Fdew point 49°F
- 9 pm53°Fdew point 49°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Santa Maria Public Airport (4 mi away); average wind 9 mph; clear or few clouds in 58% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 29%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F24 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow2 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 0.01 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, 1991-20202014: average high 76°F
- Coolest May1991: average high 64°F
- Wettest May1998: 3.2 in
- Driest May1991: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading105°F (May 15, 2014)
- Lowest reading36°F (May 12, 1993)
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 | 68°F | 69°F | 71°F |
| Normal low | 45°F | 49°F | 52°F |
| Wet days | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Comfortable days | 18 | 24 | 27 |
| Daylight | 13.1 h | 14.0 h | 14.5 h |
Highs change by +1°F from April and +2°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Solvang, CA30 mi · high 80°F · 2 wet days
- Cooler: Monterey, CA140 mi · high 64°F · 5 wet days
How Santa Maria ranks in May
- Normal high280th warmest of 378 cities; 50th of 60 in California
- Wet days38th driest of 378
- Comfortable days15th most of 339
Heating and cooling
May has 194 heating degree days and 8 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 8% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Santa Maria in May?
The normal high is 69°F and the normal low is 49°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest May reading was 36°F (most recently on May 12, 1993).
Does it rain a lot in Santa Maria in May?
About 2 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 1998 (3.2 in); the driest was in 1991, with no measurable precipitation.
Is May a good time to visit Santa Maria?
May ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Santa Maria (87 out of 100). It has about 24 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best months are June, July and August.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Santa Maria Public Airport (USW00023273), 3.8 mi S of the city center, 242 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Lompoc (USC00045064), 21 mi S of the city center, 75 ft (143 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Santa Barbara Muni Airport (USW00023190), 50 mi SE of the city center, 9 ft (209 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Santa Maria Pub/Capt G A Hancock Airport (723940-23273), 4.2 mi SSW of the city center, 243 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.