Arcata weather in May: Arcata, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Arcata in May has a normal high of 60°F and a normal low of 46°F, a daily mean of 53°F, rising from 58°F on the 1st to 61°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal May, 2.10 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 15°C and low of 8°C, 53 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationArcata Eureka Airport
- Station IDUSW00024283
- Location40.98°N 124.11°W
- Elevation200 ft (61 m)
- Population18,748
- Jan 56° 41°
- Feb 57° 41°
- Mar 57° 41°
- Apr 58° 43°
- May 60° 46°
- Jun 63° 49°
- Jul 63° 51°
- Aug 65° 51°
- Sep 65° 49°
- Oct 64° 45°
- Nov 59° 42°
- Dec 56° 40°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Arcata in May?
The normal high is 60°F and the normal low 46°F, for a daily mean of 52.9°F. May is 2.6°F warmer than April and 2.6°F cooler than June. May is the 6th warmest month of the year in Arcata and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 3°F, from 58°F on May 1 to 61°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 1.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 51°F and 55°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 40%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 58°F | 44°F | 40% | 21% |
| May 8 | 59°F | 45°F | 37% | 18% |
| May 15 | 60°F | 46°F | 35% | 16% |
| May 22 | 60°F | 47°F | 33% | 14% |
| May 31 | 61°F | 48°F | 29% | 11% |
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 | 58°F | 44°F | 40% | 21% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 58°F | 44°F | 39% | 21% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 59°F | 44°F | 39% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 59°F | 45°F | 38% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 5 | 59°F | 45°F | 38% | 19% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 59°F | 45°F | 37% | 19% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 59°F | 45°F | 37% | 18% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 59°F | 45°F | 37% | 18% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 9 | 59°F | 45°F | 36% | 18% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 10 | 59°F | 45°F | 36% | 17% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 59°F | 46°F | 36% | 17% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 59°F | 46°F | 35% | 17% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 13 | 59°F | 46°F | 35% | 16% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 14 | 59°F | 46°F | 35% | 16% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 15 | 60°F | 46°F | 35% | 16% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 60°F | 46°F | 35% | 16% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 60°F | 46°F | 35% | 16% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 18 | 60°F | 46°F | 34% | 15% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 19 | 60°F | 47°F | 34% | 15% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 20 | 60°F | 47°F | 34% | 15% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 60°F | 47°F | 33% | 14% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 60°F | 47°F | 33% | 14% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 23 | 60°F | 47°F | 33% | 14% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 24 | 61°F | 47°F | 32% | 14% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 25 | 61°F | 47°F | 32% | 13% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 26 | 61°F | 47°F | 32% | 13% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 61°F | 47°F | 31% | 13% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 61°F | 47°F | 31% | 12% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 29 | 61°F | 47°F | 30% | 12% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 30 | 61°F | 47°F | 30% | 12% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 31 | 61°F | 48°F | 29% | 11% | 14 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 60°FMay average
- Normal low
- 46°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 2.10 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Daylight
- 14 h to 14 h 50 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 76%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024283; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Arcata in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 35% on average, highest around May 1 (40%). In all, 2.10 in falls on 11 days of a normal May.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024283.
How humid and windy is Arcata in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 58°F with 77% relative humidity and a dew point of 51°F; at 6 a.m. it is 51°F with 94% humidity. The wind averages 6.6 mph, most often from the northwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 51°F | 49°F | 94% | 3.0 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 55°F | 51°F | 85% | 6.8 mph | – |
| noon | 58°F | 51°F | 79% | 10.4 mph | 46% |
| 3 p.m. | 58°F | 51°F | 77% | 11.9 mph | 52% |
| 6 p.m. | 56°F | 50°F | 81% | 9.4 mph | 49% |
| 9 p.m. | 52°F | 49°F | 89% | 4.5 mph | 41% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024283. 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 Arcata?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1945) is 94°F, on May 15, 2008; the coldest is 30°F, on May 9, 1999. The wettest May brought 5.66 in (2020).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 52.9°F: 2021 50.9°F (−2.0), 2022 51.8°F (−1.1), 2023 52.2°F (−0.7), 2024 51.7°F (−1.2), 2025 52.2°F (−0.7), 2026 53.0°F (+0.1). 1 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50.9°F | −2.0°F | 0.33 in |
| 2022 | 51.8°F | −1.1°F | 2.64 in |
| 2023 | 52.2°F | −0.7°F | 1.15 in |
| 2024 | 51.7°F | −1.2°F | 3.41 in |
| 2025 | 52.2°F | −0.7°F | 0.83 in |
| 2026 | 53.0°F | +0.1°F | 0.43 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00024283; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024283. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Arcata compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, May normal highs run from 58°F in Tahoma to 96°F in Needles; Arcata's is 60°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.