Fairbanks weather in May: Fairbanks, Alaska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Fairbanks in May has a normal high of 62°F and a normal low of 39°F, a daily mean of 50°F, rising from 56°F on the 1st to 68°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 6 days in a normal May, 0.54 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 17°C and low of 4°C, 14 mm of precipitation and 2 cm of snow in May.
- NOAA stationFairbanks International Airport
- Station IDUSW00026411
- Location64.80°N 147.88°W
- Elevation432 ft (132 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population31,732
- Jan 1° -17°
- Feb 12° -11°
- Mar 25° -3°
- Apr 46° 22°
- May 62° 39°
- Jun 72° 50°
- Jul 73° 53°
- Aug 66° 48°
- Sep 55° 36°
- Oct 34° 18°
- Nov 12° -4°
- Dec 4° -13°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Fairbanks in May?
The normal high is 62°F and the normal low 39°F, for a daily mean of 50.3°F. May is 16.6°F warmer than April and 10.7°F cooler than June. May is the 4th warmest month of the year in Fairbanks and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 12°F, from 56°F on May 1 to 68°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 47°F and 54°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 28%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 56°F | 33°F | 16% | 5% |
| May 8 | 59°F | 36°F | 18% | 5% |
| May 15 | 62°F | 38°F | 20% | 6% |
| May 22 | 64°F | 41°F | 23% | 7% |
| May 31 | 68°F | 44°F | 28% | 9% |
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 | 56°F | 33°F | 16% | 5% | 16 h 50 min |
| May 2 | 57°F | 33°F | 17% | 5% | 17 h |
| May 3 | 57°F | 34°F | 17% | 5% | 17 h 10 min |
| May 4 | 58°F | 34°F | 17% | 5% | 17 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 58°F | 35°F | 17% | 5% | 17 h 20 min |
| May 6 | 58°F | 35°F | 18% | 5% | 17 h 30 min |
| May 7 | 59°F | 35°F | 18% | 5% | 17 h 40 min |
| May 8 | 59°F | 36°F | 18% | 5% | 17 h 40 min |
| May 9 | 60°F | 36°F | 18% | 5% | 17 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 60°F | 37°F | 19% | 5% | 18 h |
| May 11 | 60°F | 37°F | 19% | 5% | 18 h |
| May 12 | 61°F | 37°F | 19% | 6% | 18 h 10 min |
| May 13 | 61°F | 38°F | 20% | 6% | 18 h 20 min |
| May 14 | 62°F | 38°F | 20% | 6% | 18 h 20 min |
| May 15 | 62°F | 38°F | 20% | 6% | 18 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 62°F | 39°F | 21% | 6% | 18 h 40 min |
| May 17 | 63°F | 39°F | 21% | 6% | 18 h 50 min |
| May 18 | 63°F | 39°F | 22% | 6% | 18 h 50 min |
| May 19 | 63°F | 40°F | 22% | 6% | 19 h |
| May 20 | 64°F | 40°F | 23% | 7% | 19 h 10 min |
| May 21 | 64°F | 40°F | 23% | 7% | 19 h 10 min |
| May 22 | 64°F | 41°F | 23% | 7% | 19 h 20 min |
| May 23 | 65°F | 41°F | 24% | 7% | 19 h 30 min |
| May 24 | 65°F | 41°F | 24% | 7% | 19 h 30 min |
| May 25 | 65°F | 42°F | 25% | 8% | 19 h 40 min |
| May 26 | 66°F | 42°F | 25% | 8% | 19 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 66°F | 43°F | 26% | 8% | 19 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 66°F | 43°F | 26% | 8% | 20 h |
| May 29 | 67°F | 44°F | 27% | 9% | 20 h 10 min |
| May 30 | 67°F | 44°F | 27% | 9% | 20 h 10 min |
| May 31 | 68°F | 44°F | 28% | 9% | 20 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 62°FMay average
- Normal low
- 39°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 0.54 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 60.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.9 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 6
- Daylight
- 16 h 50 min to 20 h 20 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 7
- Days at 80°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00026411; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Fairbanks in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 21% on average, highest around May 31 (28%). In all, 0.54 in falls on 6 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in Fairbanks, 6 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.9 inches.
Snow falls on 1 day in a normal May, and an inch or more covers the ground on 1 day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00026411.
How humid and windy is Fairbanks in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 66°F with 34% relative humidity and a dew point of 37°F; at 6 a.m. it is 50°F with 68% humidity. The wind averages 5.7 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 50°F | 40°F | 68% | 4.0 mph | 18% |
| 9 a.m. | 57°F | 40°F | 52% | 4.7 mph | 17% |
| noon | 63°F | 38°F | 39% | 6.4 mph | 13% |
| 3 p.m. | 66°F | 37°F | 34% | 7.7 mph | 8% |
| 6 p.m. | 65°F | 37°F | 35% | 7.7 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 61°F | 39°F | 44% | 6.2 mph | 10% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026411. 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 Fairbanks?
The warmest May temperature on Fairbanks's official record (since 1904) is 90°F, on May 28, 1947; the coldest is −1°F, on May 9, 1964. The wettest May brought 1.96 in (2004); the snowiest, 14.1 inches (1992).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 50.3°F: 2021 51.9°F (+1.6), 2022 48.7°F (−1.6), 2023 50.9°F (+0.6), 2024 50.5°F (+0.2), 2025 49.1°F (−1.2), 2026 47.8°F (−2.5). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51.9°F | +1.6°F | 0.36 in |
| 2022 | 48.7°F | −1.6°F | 1.09 in |
| 2023 | 50.9°F | +0.6°F | 0.28 in |
| 2024 | 50.5°F | +0.2°F | 1.08 in |
| 2025 | 49.1°F | −1.2°F | 0.59 in |
| 2026 | 47.8°F | −2.5°F | 1.16 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record FAIthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00026411. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Fairbanks compare across Alaska?
Across the 85 places PlainClimate covers in Alaska, May normal highs run from 27°F in Utqiaġvik to 65°F in Two Rivers; Fairbanks's is 62°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.