Brainerd weather in May: Brainerd, Minnesota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Brainerd in May has a normal high of 68°F and a normal low of 43°F, a daily mean of 55°F, rising from 62°F on the 1st to 73°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal May, 3.27 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 20°C and low of 6°C, 83 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationBrainerd Crow Wing County Airport
- Station IDUSW00094938
- Location46.40°N 94.13°W
- Elevation1,221 ft (372 m)
- Population14,400
- Jan 21° 0°
- Feb 27° 4°
- Mar 40° 18°
- Apr 55° 31°
- May 68° 43°
- Jun 77° 53°
- Jul 82° 58°
- Aug 79° 55°
- Sep 71° 47°
- Oct 56° 35°
- Nov 40° 22°
- Dec 26° 8°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Brainerd in May?
The normal high is 68°F and the normal low 43°F, for a daily mean of 55.3°F. May is 12.8°F warmer than April and 9.9°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Brainerd and the 3rd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 11°F, from 62°F on May 1 to 73°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 52°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 40%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 62°F | 37°F | 33% | 18% |
| May 8 | 65°F | 40°F | 35% | 19% |
| May 15 | 68°F | 42°F | 36% | 20% |
| May 22 | 70°F | 45°F | 38% | 21% |
| May 31 | 73°F | 49°F | 40% | 22% |
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 | 62°F | 37°F | 33% | 18% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 2 | 63°F | 37°F | 33% | 18% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 3 | 63°F | 38°F | 34% | 18% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 4 | 63°F | 38°F | 34% | 19% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 5 | 64°F | 38°F | 34% | 19% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 6 | 64°F | 39°F | 34% | 19% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 7 | 65°F | 39°F | 35% | 19% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 8 | 65°F | 40°F | 35% | 19% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 9 | 66°F | 40°F | 35% | 20% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 10 | 66°F | 40°F | 35% | 20% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 11 | 66°F | 41°F | 35% | 20% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 67°F | 41°F | 36% | 20% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 13 | 67°F | 42°F | 36% | 20% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 14 | 67°F | 42°F | 36% | 20% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 15 | 68°F | 42°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 16 | 68°F | 43°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 17 | 69°F | 43°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 18 | 69°F | 44°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 19 | 69°F | 44°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 20 | 70°F | 44°F | 37% | 21% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 21 | 70°F | 45°F | 37% | 21% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 22 | 70°F | 45°F | 38% | 21% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 23 | 71°F | 46°F | 38% | 21% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 24 | 71°F | 46°F | 38% | 21% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 25 | 71°F | 46°F | 39% | 21% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 26 | 72°F | 47°F | 39% | 21% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 27 | 72°F | 47°F | 39% | 21% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 28 | 72°F | 47°F | 39% | 21% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 29 | 72°F | 48°F | 40% | 22% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 30 | 73°F | 48°F | 40% | 22% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 31 | 73°F | 49°F | 40% | 22% | 15 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 68°FMay average
- Normal low
- 43°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.27 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 3
- Daylight
- 14 h 20 min to 15 h 30 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 13
- Days at 80°F or more
- 4
- Sunshine
- 69%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094938; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Brainerd in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 36% on average, highest around May 31 (40%). In all, 3.27 in falls on 11 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Brainerd, 1 days reach 90°F and 3 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094938.
How humid and windy is Brainerd in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 70°F with 45% relative humidity and a dew point of 48°F; at 6 a.m. it is 54°F with 79% humidity. The wind averages 7.0 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. | 54°F | 48°F | 79% | 5.1 mph | 64% |
| 9 a.m. | 63°F | 48°F | 60% | 8.4 mph | 61% |
| noon | 68°F | 48°F | 49% | 9.9 mph | 56% |
| 3 p.m. | 70°F | 48°F | 45% | 9.6 mph | 52% |
| 6 p.m. | 69°F | 48°F | 47% | 8.3 mph | 59% |
| 9 p.m. | 60°F | 49°F | 67% | 4.8 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094938. 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 Brainerd?
The warmest May temperature on Brainerd's official record (since 1898) is 101°F, on May 31, 1934; the coldest is 16°F, on May 4, 1967. The wettest May brought 10.39 in (1912); the snowiest, 5.0 inches (1954).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 55.3°F: 2021 56.2°F (+0.9), 2022 56.9°F (+1.6), 2023 59.8°F (+4.5), 2024 57.2°F (+1.9), 2025 56.9°F (+1.6), 2026 53.8°F (−1.5). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56.2°F | +0.9°F | 0.27 in |
| 2022 | 56.9°F | +1.6°F | 4.84 in |
| 2023 | 59.8°F | +4.5°F | 1.63 in |
| 2024 | 57.2°F | +1.9°F | 4.22 in |
| 2025 | 56.9°F | +1.6°F | 2.10 in |
| 2026 | 53.8°F | −1.5°F | 0.52 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BRDthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094938. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Brainerd compare across Minnesota?
Across the 129 places PlainClimate covers in Minnesota, May normal highs run from 55°F in Grand Marais to 73°F in Amboy; Brainerd's is 68°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.