Kotzebue weather in May: Kotzebue, Alaska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Kotzebue in May has a normal high of 39°F and a normal low of 27°F, a daily mean of 33°F, rising from 34°F on the 1st to 45°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal May, 0.44 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 4°C and low of −3°C, 11 mm of precipitation and 3 cm of snow in May.
- NOAA stationKotzebue Airport
- Station IDUSW00026616
- Location66.87°N 162.63°W
- Elevation30 ft (9 m)
- Population2,889
- Jan 5° -8°
- Feb 9° -6°
- Mar 9° -6°
- Apr 24° 9°
- May 39° 27°
- Jun 53° 42°
- Jul 60° 51°
- Aug 57° 48°
- Sep 48° 39°
- Oct 31° 23°
- Nov 16° 6°
- Dec 9° -4°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Kotzebue in May?
The normal high is 39°F and the normal low 27°F, for a daily mean of 33.1°F. May is 16.8°F warmer than April and 14.4°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Kotzebue and the 12th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 11°F, from 34°F on May 1 to 45°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 5.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 28°F and 38°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 22%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 34°F | 20°F | 22% | 5% |
| May 8 | 36°F | 24°F | 22% | 5% |
| May 15 | 39°F | 27°F | 22% | 5% |
| May 22 | 41°F | 30°F | 21% | 5% |
| May 31 | 45°F | 34°F | 20% | 5% |
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 | 34°F | 20°F | 22% | 5% | 17 h 30 min |
| May 2 | 34°F | 21°F | 22% | 5% | 17 h 40 min |
| May 3 | 35°F | 22°F | 22% | 5% | 17 h 50 min |
| May 4 | 35°F | 22°F | 22% | 5% | 17 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 35°F | 23°F | 22% | 5% | 18 h |
| May 6 | 36°F | 23°F | 22% | 5% | 18 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 36°F | 24°F | 22% | 5% | 18 h 20 min |
| May 8 | 36°F | 24°F | 22% | 5% | 18 h 30 min |
| May 9 | 37°F | 25°F | 22% | 5% | 18 h 40 min |
| May 10 | 37°F | 25°F | 22% | 5% | 18 h 40 min |
| May 11 | 37°F | 25°F | 22% | 5% | 18 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 38°F | 26°F | 22% | 5% | 19 h |
| May 13 | 38°F | 26°F | 22% | 5% | 19 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 38°F | 27°F | 22% | 5% | 19 h 20 min |
| May 15 | 39°F | 27°F | 22% | 5% | 19 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 39°F | 28°F | 22% | 5% | 19 h 40 min |
| May 17 | 39°F | 28°F | 22% | 5% | 19 h 50 min |
| May 18 | 40°F | 28°F | 22% | 5% | 20 h |
| May 19 | 40°F | 29°F | 22% | 5% | 20 h 10 min |
| May 20 | 40°F | 29°F | 22% | 5% | 20 h 20 min |
| May 21 | 41°F | 29°F | 22% | 5% | 20 h 30 min |
| May 22 | 41°F | 30°F | 21% | 5% | 20 h 40 min |
| May 23 | 41°F | 30°F | 21% | 5% | 20 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 42°F | 31°F | 21% | 5% | 21 h |
| May 25 | 42°F | 31°F | 21% | 5% | 21 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 43°F | 31°F | 21% | 5% | 21 h 20 min |
| May 27 | 43°F | 32°F | 21% | 5% | 21 h 30 min |
| May 28 | 43°F | 32°F | 21% | 5% | 21 h 40 min |
| May 29 | 44°F | 33°F | 21% | 5% | 21 h 50 min |
| May 30 | 44°F | 33°F | 21% | 5% | 22 h 10 min |
| May 31 | 45°F | 34°F | 20% | 5% | 22 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 39°FMay average
- Normal low
- 27°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 0.44 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 1.2 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 22
- Daylight
- 17 h 30 min to 22 h 20 minMay 1 to May 31
- Sunshine
- 82%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00026616; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Kotzebue in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 22% on average, highest around May 6 (22%). In all, 0.44 in falls on 7 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in Kotzebue, 22 nights fall to freezing, 7 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 1.2 inches.
Snow falls on 2 days in a normal May, and an inch or more covers the ground on 18 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00026616.
How humid and windy is Kotzebue in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 41°F with 76% relative humidity and a dew point of 34°F; at 6 a.m. it is 36°F with 86% humidity. The wind averages 9.9 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. | 36°F | 32°F | 86% | 8.7 mph | 30% |
| 9 a.m. | 38°F | 33°F | 81% | 9.3 mph | 25% |
| noon | 40°F | 34°F | 77% | 10.4 mph | 31% |
| 3 p.m. | 41°F | 34°F | 76% | 10.8 mph | 30% |
| 6 p.m. | 41°F | 34°F | 75% | 10.8 mph | 42% |
| 9 p.m. | 41°F | 34°F | 77% | 10.3 mph | 41% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026616. 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 Kotzebue?
The warmest May temperature on Kotzebue's official record (since 1902) is 74°F, on May 29, 1947; the coldest is −18°F, on May 1, 1945. The wettest May brought 1.38 in (2004); the snowiest, 12.0 inches (1964).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 33.1°F: 2021 33.7°F (+0.6), 2022 31.1°F (−2.0), 2023 29.5°F (−3.6), 2024 29.6°F (−3.5), 2025 30.9°F (−2.2), 2026 36.2°F (+3.1). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33.7°F | +0.6°F | 0.12 in |
| 2022 | 31.1°F | −2.0°F | 0.62 in |
| 2023 | 29.5°F | −3.6°F | 0.53 in |
| 2024 | 29.6°F | −3.5°F | 0.20 in |
| 2025 | 30.9°F | −2.2°F | 0.10 in |
| 2026 | 36.2°F | +3.1°F | 0.37 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record OTZthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00026616. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Kotzebue 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; Kotzebue's is 39°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.