Ames weather in May: Ames, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Ames in May has a normal high of 72°F and a normal low of 50°F, a daily mean of 61°F, rising from 66°F on the 1st to 77°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 14 days in a normal May, 5.16 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 22°C and low of 10°C, 131 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationAmes Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00094989
- Location41.99°N 93.62°W
- Elevation930 ft (284 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population69,026
- Jan 29° 11°
- Feb 33° 15°
- Mar 47° 27°
- Apr 61° 38°
- May 72° 50°
- Jun 81° 60°
- Jul 84° 63°
- Aug 82° 60°
- Sep 76° 51°
- Oct 63° 39°
- Nov 47° 27°
- Dec 34° 17°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Ames in May?
The normal high is 72°F and the normal low 50°F, for a daily mean of 60.7°F. May is 11.3°F warmer than April and 9.9°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Ames and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 11°F, from 66°F on May 1 to 77°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 58°F and 64°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 45%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 66°F | 43°F | 41% | 26% |
| May 8 | 69°F | 46°F | 42% | 27% |
| May 15 | 71°F | 49°F | 43% | 27% |
| May 22 | 74°F | 52°F | 44% | 28% |
| May 31 | 77°F | 56°F | 45% | 28% |
Every day of May: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon May 31, coldest night May 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 66°F | 43°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 67°F | 44°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 67°F | 44°F | 42% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 67°F | 45°F | 42% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 68°F | 45°F | 42% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 68°F | 45°F | 42% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 68°F | 46°F | 42% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 69°F | 46°F | 42% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 69°F | 47°F | 42% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 70°F | 47°F | 42% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 70°F | 47°F | 43% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 70°F | 48°F | 43% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 13 | 71°F | 48°F | 43% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 71°F | 49°F | 43% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 71°F | 49°F | 43% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 72°F | 50°F | 43% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 72°F | 50°F | 43% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 18 | 73°F | 50°F | 43% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 73°F | 51°F | 44% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 73°F | 51°F | 44% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 74°F | 52°F | 44% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 74°F | 52°F | 44% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 23 | 74°F | 53°F | 45% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 75°F | 53°F | 45% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 75°F | 53°F | 45% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 26 | 76°F | 54°F | 45% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 76°F | 54°F | 45% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 76°F | 55°F | 45% | 28% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 29 | 77°F | 55°F | 45% | 28% | 15 h |
| May 30 | 77°F | 55°F | 45% | 28% | 15 h |
| May 31 | 77°F | 56°F | 45% | 28% | 15 h |
- Normal high
- 72°FMay average
- Normal low
- 50°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 5.16 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 140.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 hMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 19
- Days at 80°F or more
- 8
- Sunshine
- 72%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094989; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Ames in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 43% on average, highest around May 29 (45%). In all, 5.16 in falls on 14 days of a normal May, 2 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Ames, 1 days reach 90°F and 1 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094989.
What are the records for May in Ames?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1996) is 98°F, on May 28, 2018; the coldest is 23°F, on May 4, 2005. The wettest May brought 11.64 in (2013).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 60.7°F: 2021 59.9°F (−0.8), 2022 62.3°F (+1.6), 2023 64.2°F (+3.5), 2024 63.1°F (+2.4), 2025 60.1°F (−0.6), 2026 62.3°F (+1.6). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59.9°F | −0.8°F | 3.81 in |
| 2022 | 62.3°F | +1.6°F | 5.76 in |
| 2023 | 64.2°F | +3.5°F | 3.71 in |
| 2024 | 63.1°F | +2.4°F | 8.96 in |
| 2025 | 60.1°F | −0.6°F | 4.51 in |
| 2026 | 62.3°F | +1.6°F | 3.28 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00094989; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094989. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Ames compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, May normal highs run from 66°F in Northwood to 74°F in Glenwood; Ames's is 72°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.