Grand Forks weather in May: Grand Forks, North Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Grand Forks in May has a normal high of 67°F and a normal low of 41°F, a daily mean of 54°F, rising from 60°F on the 1st to 73°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal May, 2.80 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 19°C and low of 5°C, 71 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationGrand Forks International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014916
- Location47.94°N 97.18°W
- Elevation842 ft (257 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population59,845
- Jan 16° -3°
- Feb 21° 1°
- Mar 34° 15°
- Apr 52° 29°
- May 67° 41°
- Jun 76° 53°
- Jul 81° 57°
- Aug 80° 54°
- Sep 70° 45°
- Oct 54° 33°
- Nov 36° 18°
- Dec 21° 4°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Grand Forks in May?
The normal high is 67°F and the normal low 41°F, for a daily mean of 54.1°F. May is 13.4°F warmer than April and 10.5°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Grand Forks and the 4th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 13°F, from 60°F on May 1 to 73°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 51°F and 57°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 37%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 60°F | 35°F | 32% | 15% |
| May 8 | 64°F | 38°F | 34% | 17% |
| May 15 | 67°F | 41°F | 34% | 18% |
| May 22 | 70°F | 44°F | 35% | 19% |
| May 31 | 73°F | 48°F | 37% | 20% |
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 | 60°F | 35°F | 32% | 15% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 2 | 61°F | 36°F | 32% | 15% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 3 | 61°F | 36°F | 32% | 16% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 4 | 62°F | 36°F | 32% | 16% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 5 | 62°F | 37°F | 33% | 16% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 6 | 63°F | 37°F | 33% | 16% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 63°F | 38°F | 33% | 17% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 8 | 64°F | 38°F | 34% | 17% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 9 | 64°F | 38°F | 34% | 17% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 65°F | 39°F | 34% | 17% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 65°F | 39°F | 34% | 17% | 15 h |
| May 12 | 65°F | 40°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h |
| May 13 | 66°F | 40°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h |
| May 14 | 66°F | 41°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h |
| May 15 | 67°F | 41°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 16 | 67°F | 41°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 17 | 68°F | 42°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 18 | 68°F | 42°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 19 | 68°F | 43°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 20 | 69°F | 43°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 21 | 69°F | 44°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 22 | 70°F | 44°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 23 | 70°F | 44°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 24 | 70°F | 45°F | 36% | 19% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 25 | 71°F | 45°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 26 | 71°F | 46°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 71°F | 46°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 40 min |
| May 28 | 72°F | 47°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 40 min |
| May 29 | 72°F | 47°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 40 min |
| May 30 | 72°F | 47°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 40 min |
| May 31 | 73°F | 48°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 67°FMay average
- Normal low
- 41°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 2.80 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 4
- Daylight
- 14 h 30 min to 15 h 40 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 14
- Days at 80°F or more
- 4
- Sunshine
- 71%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014916; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Grand Forks in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around May 31 (37%). In all, 2.80 in falls on 11 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Grand Forks, 4 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014916.
What are the records for May in Grand Forks?
The warmest May temperature on Grand Forks's official record (since 1941) is 101°F, on May 21, 1964; the coldest is 5°F, on May 3, 1967. The wettest May brought 5.74 in (2004); the snowiest, 6.5 inches (1954).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 54.1°F: 2021 53.2°F (−0.9), 2022 54.8°F (+0.7), 2023 62.4°F (+8.3), 2024 56.1°F (+2.0), 2025 59.8°F (+5.7), 2026 54.6°F (+0.5). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 53.2°F | −0.9°F | 2.29 in |
| 2022 | 54.8°F | +0.7°F | 5.09 in |
| 2023 | 62.4°F | +8.3°F | 1.12 in |
| 2024 | 56.1°F | +2.0°F | 4.21 in |
| 2025 | 59.8°F | +5.7°F | 1.75 in |
| 2026 | 54.6°F | +0.5°F | 1.78 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record GFKthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014916. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Grand Forks 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; Grand Forks's is 67°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.