Milwaukee, WI weather in May
May in Milwaukee: mild, with frequent rain. Highs 67°F, lows 48°F, about 12 wet days. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 67°F
- Normal low
- 48°F
- Wet days
- 12
- 3.5 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 61°F | 72°F |
| Normal low | 43°F | 53°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 39% | 39% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 5:45 am / 7:52 pm | 5:15 am / 8:23 pm |
| Daylight | 14.1 h | 15.1 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Central Time).
A typical May day
- 6 am52°Fdew point 44°F
- 9 am58°Fdew point 45°F
- Noon61°Fdew point 46°F
- 3 pm61°Fdew point 45°F
- 6 pm59°Fdew point 44°F
- 9 pm54°Fdew point 44°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Milwaukee Mitchell Airport (6 mi away); average wind 10 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F12 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph2 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 snow12 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in7 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 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 3.5 in; a dry May brings about 2.4 in and a wet one about 4.2 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20201991: average high 73°F
- Coolest May1997: average high 58°F
- Wettest May2000: 8.4 in
- Driest May1992: 0.6 in
- Highest reading95°F (May 27, 2018)
- Lowest reading31°F (May 9, 2020)
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 | 55°F | 67°F | 77°F |
| Normal low | 38°F | 48°F | 58°F |
| Wet days | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 4 | 12 | 14 |
| Daylight | 13.4 h | 14.7 h | 15.3 h |
Highs change by +12°F from April and +10°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Chicago, IL83 mi · high 72°F · 12 wet days
- Cooler: Sister Bay, WI153 mi · high 59°F · 11 wet days
How Milwaukee ranks in May
- Normal high324th warmest of 378 cities; 4th of 5 in Wisconsin
- Wet days260th driest of 378
- Comfortable days195th most of 339
What to pack for Milwaukee in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 12 days
Heating and cooling
May has 278 heating degree days and 34 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Milwaukee in May?
The normal high is 67°F and the normal low is 48°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest May reading was 31°F (most recently on May 9, 2020).
Does it rain a lot in Milwaukee in May?
About 12 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.5 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2000 (8.4 in); the driest was in 1992 (0.6 in).
Is May a good time to visit Milwaukee?
May ranks 2nd of 12 months on our comfort score for Milwaukee (68 out of 100). It has about 12 comfortable days. The best months are May, June and September.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Milwaukee Mitchell Airport (USW00014839), 5.8 mi S of the city center, 670 ft (55 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: General Mitchell International Airport (726400-14839), 5.8 mi S of the city center, 667 ft (52 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).