Anchorage weather in May: Anchorage, Alaska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Anchorage in May has a normal high of 56°F and a normal low of 40°F, a daily mean of 48°F, rising from 52°F on the 1st to 60°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal May, 0.65 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 13°C and low of 4°C, 17 mm of precipitation and 1 cm of snow in May.
- NOAA stationAnchorage Ted Stevens International Airport
- Station IDUSW00026451
- Location61.17°N 150.03°W
- Elevation120 ft (37 m)
- Population289,600
- Jan 23° 11°
- Feb 27° 15°
- Mar 33° 19°
- Apr 45° 30°
- May 56° 40°
- Jun 63° 48°
- Jul 66° 53°
- Aug 64° 51°
- Sep 56° 43°
- Oct 42° 31°
- Nov 29° 18°
- Dec 25° 14°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Anchorage in May?
The normal high is 56°F and the normal low 40°F, for a daily mean of 48.1°F. May is 10.6°F warmer than April and 7.8°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Anchorage and the 11th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 8°F, from 52°F on May 1 to 60°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 46°F and 50°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 24%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 52°F | 36°F | 19% | 5% |
| May 8 | 54°F | 38°F | 20% | 6% |
| May 15 | 56°F | 40°F | 21% | 7% |
| May 22 | 58°F | 42°F | 22% | 8% |
| May 31 | 60°F | 44°F | 24% | 9% |
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 | 52°F | 36°F | 19% | 5% | 16 h 10 min |
| May 2 | 52°F | 36°F | 19% | 5% | 16 h 10 min |
| May 3 | 53°F | 37°F | 19% | 5% | 16 h 20 min |
| May 4 | 53°F | 37°F | 19% | 6% | 16 h 20 min |
| May 5 | 53°F | 37°F | 20% | 6% | 16 h 30 min |
| May 6 | 54°F | 37°F | 20% | 6% | 16 h 30 min |
| May 7 | 54°F | 38°F | 20% | 6% | 16 h 40 min |
| May 8 | 54°F | 38°F | 20% | 6% | 16 h 40 min |
| May 9 | 55°F | 38°F | 20% | 6% | 16 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 55°F | 38°F | 20% | 6% | 17 h |
| May 11 | 55°F | 39°F | 20% | 6% | 17 h |
| May 12 | 55°F | 39°F | 21% | 6% | 17 h 10 min |
| May 13 | 56°F | 39°F | 21% | 6% | 17 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 56°F | 39°F | 21% | 6% | 17 h 20 min |
| May 15 | 56°F | 40°F | 21% | 7% | 17 h 20 min |
| May 16 | 56°F | 40°F | 21% | 7% | 17 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 57°F | 40°F | 21% | 7% | 17 h 30 min |
| May 18 | 57°F | 41°F | 21% | 7% | 17 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 57°F | 41°F | 22% | 7% | 17 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 58°F | 41°F | 22% | 7% | 17 h 50 min |
| May 21 | 58°F | 41°F | 22% | 7% | 17 h 50 min |
| May 22 | 58°F | 42°F | 22% | 8% | 18 h |
| May 23 | 58°F | 42°F | 23% | 8% | 18 h |
| May 24 | 59°F | 42°F | 23% | 8% | 18 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 59°F | 42°F | 23% | 8% | 18 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 59°F | 43°F | 23% | 8% | 18 h 10 min |
| May 27 | 59°F | 43°F | 23% | 8% | 18 h 20 min |
| May 28 | 60°F | 43°F | 24% | 8% | 18 h 20 min |
| May 29 | 60°F | 44°F | 24% | 8% | 18 h 30 min |
| May 30 | 60°F | 44°F | 24% | 9% | 18 h 30 min |
| May 31 | 60°F | 44°F | 24% | 9% | 18 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 56°FMay average
- Normal low
- 40°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 0.65 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 3
- Daylight
- 16 h 10 min to 18 h 40 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 67%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00026451; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Anchorage in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 21% on average, highest around May 31 (24%). In all, 0.65 in falls on 7 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in Anchorage, 3 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.3 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00026451.
How humid and windy is Anchorage in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 58°F with 51% relative humidity and a dew point of 40°F; at 6 a.m. it is 48°F with 73% humidity. The wind averages 8.5 mph, most often from the south-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 48°F | 40°F | 73% | 5.7 mph | 15% |
| 9 a.m. | 52°F | 40°F | 63% | 6.4 mph | 13% |
| noon | 56°F | 40°F | 55% | 8.4 mph | 13% |
| 3 p.m. | 58°F | 40°F | 51% | 10.4 mph | 7% |
| 6 p.m. | 58°F | 40°F | 51% | 11.1 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 54°F | 40°F | 59% | 10.2 mph | 8% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026451. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for May in Anchorage?
The warmest May temperature on Anchorage's official record (since 1953) is 77°F, on May 24, 1969; the coldest is 17°F, on May 10, 1964. The wettest May brought 2.18 in (2019); the snowiest, 6.1 inches (2001).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 48.1°F: 2021 48.0°F (−0.1), 2022 50.9°F (+2.8), 2023 46.3°F (−1.8), 2024 46.8°F (−1.3), 2025 47.5°F (−0.6), 2026 45.4°F (−2.7). 1 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.0°F | −0.1°F | 1.09 in |
| 2022 | 50.9°F | +2.8°F | 0.26 in |
| 2023 | 46.3°F | −1.8°F | 0.86 in |
| 2024 | 46.8°F | −1.3°F | 1.04 in |
| 2025 | 47.5°F | −0.6°F | 0.94 in |
| 2026 | 45.4°F | −2.7°F | 1.61 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ANCthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00026451. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Anchorage compare across Alaska?
Across the 85 places PlainClimate covers in Alaska, May normal highs run from 27°F in Utqiaġvik to 65°F in Two Rivers; Anchorage's is 56°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.