Madison weather in May: Madison, Wisconsin: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Madison in May has a normal high of 69°F and a normal low of 47°F, a daily mean of 58°F, rising from 63°F on the 1st to 74°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 4.10 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 8°C, 104 mm of precipitation and 0 cm of snow in May.
- NOAA stationMadison Dane County Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00014837
- Location43.14°N 89.35°W
- Elevation866 ft (264 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population285,300
- Jan 27° 12°
- Feb 31° 15°
- Mar 44° 25°
- Apr 57° 36°
- May 69° 47°
- Jun 79° 57°
- Jul 82° 62°
- Aug 80° 60°
- Sep 73° 51°
- Oct 60° 40°
- Nov 45° 29°
- Dec 32° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Madison in May?
The normal high is 69°F and the normal low 47°F, for a daily mean of 58.1°F. May is 11.8°F warmer than April and 9.9°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Madison and the 4th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 11°F, from 63°F on May 1 to 74°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 55°F and 61°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 43%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 63°F | 42°F | 43% | 25% |
| May 8 | 66°F | 44°F | 42% | 25% |
| May 15 | 69°F | 47°F | 41% | 25% |
| May 22 | 71°F | 49°F | 41% | 25% |
| May 31 | 74°F | 53°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 | 63°F | 42°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 64°F | 42°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 3 | 64°F | 42°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 4 | 65°F | 43°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 65°F | 43°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 65°F | 43°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 7 | 66°F | 44°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 8 | 66°F | 44°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 67°F | 45°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 67°F | 45°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 11 | 67°F | 45°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 12 | 68°F | 46°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 13 | 68°F | 46°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 68°F | 46°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 15 | 69°F | 47°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 16 | 69°F | 47°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 17 | 70°F | 48°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 18 | 70°F | 48°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 70°F | 48°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 20 | 71°F | 49°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 21 | 71°F | 49°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 22 | 71°F | 49°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 23 | 72°F | 50°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 72°F | 50°F | 41% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 25 | 72°F | 50°F | 41% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 26 | 73°F | 51°F | 41% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 27 | 73°F | 51°F | 41% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 28 | 73°F | 52°F | 41% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 29 | 74°F | 52°F | 41% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 30 | 74°F | 52°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 31 | 74°F | 53°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 69°FMay average
- Normal low
- 47°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.10 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.1 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 2
- 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
- 5
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014837; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Madison in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 41% on average, highest around May 1 (43%). In all, 4.10 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Madison, 2 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014837.
How humid and windy is Madison 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 58°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 7.1 mph, most often from the south-southeast in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 58°F | 52°F | 81% | 5.7 mph | 42% |
| 9 a.m. | 65°F | 53°F | 64% | 8.7 mph | – |
| noon | 70°F | 53°F | 54% | 10.1 mph | 32% |
| 3 p.m. | 72°F | 52°F | 50% | 10.0 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 70°F | 52°F | 53% | 8.3 mph | 46% |
| 9 p.m. | 62°F | 53°F | 71% | 5.4 mph | 63% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014837. 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 Madison?
The warmest May temperature on Madison's official record (since 1869) is 101°F, on May 31, 1934; the coldest is 19°F, on May 1, 1978. The wettest May brought 10.84 in (2004); the snowiest, 5.0 inches (1935).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 58.1°F: 2021 57.5°F (−0.6), 2022 62.1°F (+4.0), 2023 59.8°F (+1.7), 2024 61.9°F (+3.8), 2025 56.2°F (−1.9), 2026 57.9°F (−0.2). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57.5°F | −0.6°F | 2.20 in |
| 2022 | 62.1°F | +4.0°F | 2.54 in |
| 2023 | 59.8°F | +1.7°F | 0.87 in |
| 2024 | 61.9°F | +3.8°F | 5.51 in |
| 2025 | 56.2°F | −1.9°F | 4.37 in |
| 2026 | 57.9°F | −0.2°F | 1.62 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MSNthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014837. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Madison compare across Wisconsin?
Across the 165 places PlainClimate covers in Wisconsin, May normal highs run from 57°F in Superior to 73°F in Mondovi; Madison's is 69°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.