Grand Rapids weather in May: Grand Rapids, Michigan: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Grand Rapids in May has a normal high of 70°F and a normal low of 49°F, a daily mean of 59°F, rising from 64°F on the 1st to 75°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 4.00 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 9°C, 102 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationGrand Rapids Gerald R Ford International Airport
- Station IDUSW00094860
- Location42.89°N 85.54°W
- Elevation778 ft (237 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population200,117
- Jan 31° 19°
- Feb 34° 20°
- Mar 45° 27°
- Apr 58° 37°
- May 70° 49°
- Jun 79° 58°
- Jul 83° 63°
- Aug 81° 61°
- Sep 74° 53°
- Oct 61° 42°
- Nov 47° 33°
- Dec 36° 25°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Grand Rapids in May?
The normal high is 70°F and the normal low 49°F, for a daily mean of 59.2°F. May is 11.6°F warmer than April and 9.7°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Grand Rapids and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 11°F, from 64°F on May 1 to 75°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 56°F and 63°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 41%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 64°F | 43°F | 41% | 26% |
| May 8 | 67°F | 46°F | 41% | 26% |
| May 15 | 70°F | 48°F | 40% | 25% |
| May 22 | 72°F | 51°F | 40% | 25% |
| May 31 | 75°F | 54°F | 39% | 24% |
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 | 64°F | 43°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 65°F | 44°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 3 | 65°F | 44°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 4 | 66°F | 44°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 66°F | 45°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 66°F | 45°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 7 | 67°F | 45°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 8 | 67°F | 46°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 67°F | 46°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 68°F | 47°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 11 | 68°F | 47°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 12 | 69°F | 47°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 13 | 69°F | 48°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 69°F | 48°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 70°F | 48°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 16 | 70°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 17 | 70°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 18 | 71°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 71°F | 50°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 71°F | 50°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 21 | 72°F | 50°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 22 | 72°F | 51°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 23 | 72°F | 51°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 73°F | 51°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 73°F | 52°F | 39% | 24% | 15 h |
| May 26 | 73°F | 52°F | 39% | 24% | 15 h |
| May 27 | 74°F | 52°F | 39% | 24% | 15 h |
| May 28 | 74°F | 53°F | 39% | 24% | 15 h |
| May 29 | 74°F | 53°F | 39% | 24% | 15 h |
| May 30 | 75°F | 54°F | 39% | 24% | 15 h |
| May 31 | 75°F | 54°F | 39% | 24% | 15 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 70°FMay average
- Normal low
- 49°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.00 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 h 10 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 15
- Days at 80°F or more
- 6
- Sunshine
- 71%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094860; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Grand Rapids in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 40% on average, highest around May 1 (41%). In all, 4.00 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Grand Rapids, 1 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094860.
How humid and windy is Grand Rapids in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 72°F with 49% relative humidity and a dew point of 52°F; at 6 a.m. it is 56°F with 85% humidity. The wind averages 8.6 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 56°F | 51°F | 85% | 6.4 mph | 34% |
| 9 a.m. | 64°F | 53°F | 67% | 9.3 mph | – |
| noon | 70°F | 52°F | 54% | 10.6 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 72°F | 52°F | 49% | 11.3 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 71°F | 52°F | 51% | 10.5 mph | 27% |
| 9 p.m. | 64°F | 52°F | 65% | 7.0 mph | 39% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094860. 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 Grand Rapids?
The warmest May temperature on Grand Rapids's official record (since 1892) is 95°F, on May 31, 1934; the coldest is 21°F, on May 1, 1903. The wettest May brought 10.01 in (2001); the snowiest, 5.5 inches (1902).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 59.2°F: 2021 57.5°F (−1.7), 2022 61.5°F (+2.3), 2023 58.9°F (−0.3), 2024 62.1°F (+2.9), 2025 57.0°F (−2.2), 2026 56.6°F (−2.6). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57.5°F | −1.7°F | 1.92 in |
| 2022 | 61.5°F | +2.3°F | 4.07 in |
| 2023 | 58.9°F | −0.3°F | 0.84 in |
| 2024 | 62.1°F | +2.9°F | 3.16 in |
| 2025 | 57.0°F | −2.2°F | 3.35 in |
| 2026 | 56.6°F | −2.6°F | 1.85 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record GRRthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094860. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Grand Rapids compare across Michigan?
Across the 140 places PlainClimate covers in Michigan, May normal highs run from 57°F in Harrisville to 73°F in Eau Claire; Grand Rapids's is 70°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.