Bismarck weather in May: Bismarck, North Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Bismarck in May has a normal high of 68°F and a normal low of 42°F, a daily mean of 55°F, rising from 63°F on the 1st to 74°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal May, 2.50 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 20°C and low of 6°C, 64 mm of precipitation and 1 cm of snow in May.
- NOAA stationBismarck Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00024011
- Location46.77°N 100.76°W
- Elevation1,658 ft (505 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population77,772
- Jan 23° 2°
- Feb 28° 7°
- Mar 41° 19°
- Apr 56° 30°
- May 68° 42°
- Jun 78° 53°
- Jul 85° 58°
- Aug 84° 56°
- Sep 73° 46°
- Oct 57° 33°
- Nov 41° 19°
- Dec 28° 8°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Bismarck in May?
The normal high is 68°F and the normal low 42°F, for a daily mean of 55.3°F. May is 12.1°F warmer than April and 10.1°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Bismarck and the 3rd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 11°F, from 63°F on May 1 to 74°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 53°F and 58°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 38%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 63°F | 36°F | 31% | 16% |
| May 8 | 65°F | 39°F | 33% | 17% |
| May 15 | 68°F | 42°F | 33% | 18% |
| May 22 | 71°F | 45°F | 35% | 19% |
| May 31 | 74°F | 49°F | 38% | 21% |
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 | 63°F | 36°F | 31% | 16% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 2 | 63°F | 37°F | 32% | 16% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 3 | 63°F | 37°F | 32% | 16% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 4 | 64°F | 37°F | 32% | 16% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 5 | 64°F | 38°F | 32% | 16% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 6 | 65°F | 38°F | 33% | 17% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 65°F | 39°F | 33% | 17% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 8 | 65°F | 39°F | 33% | 17% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 9 | 66°F | 39°F | 33% | 17% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 10 | 66°F | 40°F | 33% | 17% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 67°F | 40°F | 33% | 18% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 67°F | 41°F | 33% | 18% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 13 | 67°F | 41°F | 33% | 18% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 14 | 68°F | 42°F | 33% | 18% | 15 h |
| May 15 | 68°F | 42°F | 33% | 18% | 15 h |
| May 16 | 68°F | 43°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h |
| May 17 | 69°F | 43°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h |
| May 18 | 69°F | 43°F | 34% | 19% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 19 | 70°F | 44°F | 34% | 19% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 20 | 70°F | 44°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 21 | 70°F | 45°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 22 | 71°F | 45°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 23 | 71°F | 45°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 24 | 71°F | 46°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 25 | 72°F | 46°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 26 | 72°F | 47°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 27 | 72°F | 47°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 28 | 73°F | 47°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 29 | 73°F | 48°F | 37% | 21% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 30 | 73°F | 48°F | 37% | 21% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 31 | 74°F | 49°F | 38% | 21% | 15 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 68°FMay average
- Normal low
- 42°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 2.50 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.4 inmonth total
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 4
- Daylight
- 14 h 20 min to 15 h 30 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 15
- Days at 80°F or more
- 5
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024011; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Bismarck in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around May 31 (38%). In all, 2.50 in falls on 10 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in Bismarck, 1 days reach 90°F, 4 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.4 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024011.
How humid and windy is Bismarck in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 71°F with 44% relative humidity and a dew point of 48°F; at 6 a.m. it is 52°F with 83% humidity. The wind averages 9.7 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. | 52°F | 47°F | 83% | 7.0 mph | 55% |
| 9 a.m. | 61°F | 49°F | 65% | 10.2 mph | 59% |
| noon | 68°F | 48°F | 49% | 12.7 mph | 47% |
| 3 p.m. | 71°F | 48°F | 44% | 13.2 mph | 50% |
| 6 p.m. | 70°F | 48°F | 46% | 12.0 mph | 52% |
| 9 p.m. | 61°F | 49°F | 64% | 8.1 mph | 65% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024011. 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 Bismarck?
The warmest May temperature on Bismarck's official record (since 1874) is 102°F, on May 30, 1934; the coldest is 13°F, on May 3, 1907. The wettest May brought 7.37 in (2013); the snowiest, 10.3 inches (1950).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 55.3°F: 2021 55.6°F (+0.3), 2022 55.0°F (−0.3), 2023 61.3°F (+6.0), 2024 55.7°F (+0.4), 2025 57.1°F (+1.8), 2026 56.7°F (+1.4). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55.6°F | +0.3°F | 1.30 in |
| 2022 | 55.0°F | −0.3°F | 1.98 in |
| 2023 | 61.3°F | +6.0°F | 3.01 in |
| 2024 | 55.7°F | +0.4°F | 2.44 in |
| 2025 | 57.1°F | +1.8°F | 5.28 in |
| 2026 | 56.7°F | +1.4°F | 1.78 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BISthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024011. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Bismarck compare across North Dakota?
Across the 92 places PlainClimate covers in North Dakota, May normal highs run from 62°F in Rolla to 71°F in Enderlin; Bismarck's is 68°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.