Chicago weather in May: Chicago, Illinois: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Chicago in May has a normal high of 71°F and a normal low of 51°F, a daily mean of 61°F, rising from 65°F on the 1st to 76°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 4.49 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 10°C, 114 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationChicago O'Hare International Airport
- Station IDUSW00094846
- Location41.99°N 87.93°W
- Elevation658 ft (201 m)
- From the center17 miles
- Population2,721,308
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 36° 22°
- Mar 47° 31°
- Apr 59° 40°
- May 71° 51°
- Jun 80° 61°
- Jul 85° 66°
- Aug 83° 65°
- Sep 76° 57°
- Oct 63° 45°
- Nov 48° 34°
- Dec 37° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Chicago in May?
The normal high is 71°F and the normal low 51°F, for a daily mean of 60.6°F. May is 10.9°F warmer than April and 10.0°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Chicago and the wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 11°F, from 65°F on May 1 to 76°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 57°F and 64°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 42%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 65°F | 46°F | 42% | 25% |
| May 8 | 68°F | 48°F | 42% | 26% |
| May 15 | 70°F | 50°F | 41% | 26% |
| May 22 | 73°F | 53°F | 40% | 26% |
| May 31 | 76°F | 56°F | 40% | 25% |
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 | 65°F | 46°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 66°F | 46°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 66°F | 46°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 66°F | 47°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 67°F | 47°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 67°F | 47°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 67°F | 48°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 68°F | 48°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 68°F | 48°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 68°F | 49°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 69°F | 49°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 69°F | 49°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 13 | 70°F | 50°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 70°F | 50°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 70°F | 50°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 71°F | 51°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 71°F | 51°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 18 | 71°F | 51°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 72°F | 52°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 72°F | 52°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 72°F | 52°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 73°F | 53°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 23 | 73°F | 53°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 73°F | 53°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 74°F | 54°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 26 | 74°F | 54°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 74°F | 54°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 75°F | 55°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 29 | 75°F | 55°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 30 | 75°F | 55°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 31 | 76°F | 56°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
- Normal high
- 71°FMay average
- Normal low
- 51°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.49 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 hMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 16
- Days at 80°F or more
- 7
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094846; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Chicago in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 41% on average, highest around May 1 (42%). In all, 4.49 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Chicago, 1 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094846.
How humid and windy is Chicago in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 72°F with 50% relative humidity and a dew point of 52°F; at 6 a.m. it is 60°F with 77% humidity. The wind averages 9.1 mph, most often from the east-northeast in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 60°F | 53°F | 77% | 7.6 mph | 29% |
| 9 a.m. | 67°F | 53°F | 61% | 9.8 mph | – |
| noon | 71°F | 53°F | 53% | 11.3 mph | 18% |
| 3 p.m. | 72°F | 52°F | 50% | 12.1 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 69°F | 51°F | 54% | 11.3 mph | 24% |
| 9 p.m. | 63°F | 51°F | 66% | 7.8 mph | 39% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094846. 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 Chicago?
The warmest May temperature on Chicago's official record (since 1872) is 98°F, on May 31, 1934; the coldest is 27°F, on May 2, 1875. The wettest May brought 9.51 in (2020); the snowiest, 2.2 inches (1940).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 60.6°F: 2021 60.2°F (−0.4), 2022 63.7°F (+3.1), 2023 62.4°F (+1.8), 2024 64.8°F (+4.2), 2025 58.0°F (−2.6), 2026 60.1°F (−0.5). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 60.2°F | −0.4°F | 1.79 in |
| 2022 | 63.7°F | +3.1°F | 3.47 in |
| 2023 | 62.4°F | +1.8°F | 0.71 in |
| 2024 | 64.8°F | +4.2°F | 4.06 in |
| 2025 | 58.0°F | −2.6°F | 1.35 in |
| 2026 | 60.1°F | −0.5°F | 1.17 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ORDthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094846. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Chicago compare across Illinois?
Across the 144 places PlainClimate covers in Illinois, May normal highs run from 67°F in Waukegan to 79°F in Belleville; Chicago's is 71°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.