Bakersfield weather in May: Bakersfield, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Bakersfield in May has a normal high of 84°F and a normal low of 58°F, a daily mean of 71°F, rising from 80°F on the 1st to 88°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 2 days in a normal May, 0.25 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 29°C and low of 14°C, 6 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationBakersfield Airport
- Station IDUSW00023155
- Location35.43°N 119.05°W
- Elevation489 ft (149 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population417,468
- Jan 59° 41°
- Feb 64° 43°
- Mar 70° 47°
- Apr 76° 51°
- May 84° 58°
- Jun 92° 65°
- Jul 98° 71°
- Aug 97° 70°
- Sep 91° 65°
- Oct 80° 55°
- Nov 67° 45°
- Dec 59° 40°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Bakersfield in May?
The normal high is 84°F and the normal low 58°F, for a daily mean of 71.1°F. May is 7.8°F warmer than April and 7.6°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Bakersfield and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 8°F, from 80°F on May 1 to 88°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 68°F and 75°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 10%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 80°F | 54°F | 10% | 4% |
| May 8 | 82°F | 56°F | 8% | 3% |
| May 15 | 84°F | 58°F | 7% | 3% |
| May 22 | 86°F | 59°F | 6% | 2% |
| May 31 | 88°F | 61°F | 4% | 2% |
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 | 80°F | 54°F | 10% | 4% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 2 | 80°F | 55°F | 9% | 4% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 3 | 81°F | 55°F | 9% | 4% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 4 | 81°F | 55°F | 9% | 4% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 5 | 81°F | 55°F | 9% | 3% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 6 | 82°F | 56°F | 9% | 3% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 82°F | 56°F | 8% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 8 | 82°F | 56°F | 8% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 9 | 82°F | 56°F | 8% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 83°F | 57°F | 8% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 83°F | 57°F | 8% | 3% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 83°F | 57°F | 8% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 13 | 83°F | 57°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 14 | 84°F | 58°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 15 | 84°F | 58°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 16 | 84°F | 58°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 17 | 84°F | 58°F | 7% | 3% | 14 h |
| May 18 | 85°F | 59°F | 7% | 2% | 14 h |
| May 19 | 85°F | 59°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 20 | 85°F | 59°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 21 | 85°F | 59°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 22 | 86°F | 59°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 23 | 86°F | 60°F | 6% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 24 | 86°F | 60°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 86°F | 60°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 87°F | 60°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 27 | 87°F | 61°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 28 | 87°F | 61°F | 5% | 2% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 29 | 87°F | 61°F | 4% | 2% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 30 | 88°F | 61°F | 4% | 2% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 31 | 88°F | 61°F | 4% | 2% | 14 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 84°FMay average
- Normal low
- 58°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 0.25 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 20.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 9
- Daylight
- 13 h 40 min to 14 h 20 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 29
- Days at 80°F or more
- 22
- Sunshine
- 93%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00023155; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Bakersfield in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 7% on average, highest around May 1 (10%). In all, 0.25 in falls on 2 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in Bakersfield, 9 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00023155.
How humid and windy is Bakersfield in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 86°F with 25% relative humidity and a dew point of 46°F; at 6 a.m. it is 65°F with 52% humidity. The wind averages 7.4 mph, most often from the northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 65°F | 47°F | 52% | 4.6 mph | 88% |
| 9 a.m. | 74°F | 48°F | 39% | 5.9 mph | 86% |
| noon | 82°F | 47°F | 30% | 8.6 mph | 89% |
| 3 p.m. | 86°F | 46°F | 25% | 11.2 mph | 88% |
| 6 p.m. | 85°F | 46°F | 25% | 11.0 mph | 89% |
| 9 p.m. | 74°F | 46°F | 37% | 7.4 mph | 92% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00023155. 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 Bakersfield?
The warmest May temperature on Bakersfield's official record (since 1893) is 110°F, on May 31, 1910; the coldest is 35°F, on May 9, 1918. The wettest May brought 2.39 in (1971).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 71.1°F: 2021 74.0°F (+2.9), 2022 71.4°F (+0.3), 2023 71.1°F (at normal), 2024 72.0°F (+0.9), 2025 73.2°F (+2.1), 2026 72.0°F (+0.9). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 74.0°F | +2.9°F | 0.00 in |
| 2022 | 71.4°F | +0.3°F | 0.00 in |
| 2023 | 71.1°F | at normal | 0.15 in |
| 2024 | 72.0°F | +0.9°F | 0.10 in |
| 2025 | 73.2°F | +2.1°F | 0.00 in |
| 2026 | 72.0°F | +0.9°F | 0.02 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BFLthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00023155. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Bakersfield 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; Bakersfield's is 84°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.