Missoula weather in May: Missoula, Montana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May

Missoula in May has a normal high of 66°F and a normal low of 40°F, a daily mean of 53°F, rising from 61°F on the 1st to 70°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal May, 1.77 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)

In metric: a normal high of 19°C and low of 4°C, 45 mm of precipitation and 1 cm of snow in May.

  • NOAA stationMissoula International Airport
  • Station IDUSW00024153
  • Location46.92°N 114.09°W
  • Elevation3,192 ft (973 m)
  • From the center4 miles
  • Population78,204
  1. Jan 32° 18°
  2. Feb 37° 21°
  3. Mar 48° 27°
  4. Apr 56° 32°
  5. May 66° 40°
  6. Jun 73° 46°
  7. Jul 85° 52°
  8. Aug 84° 50°
  9. Sep 73° 42°
  10. Oct 56° 32°
  11. Nov 40° 25°
  12. Dec 31° 18°

Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.

How warm is Missoula in May?

The normal high is 66°F and the normal low 40°F, for a daily mean of 53.0°F. May is 8.8°F warmer than April and 6.7°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Missoula and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 9°F, from 61°F on May 1 to 70°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 51°F and 56°F.

Missoula in May, day by day: normal high and low

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 44%).

Normal high and low on five days of May, with the chance of precipitation
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 in
May 161°F35°F36%14%
May 864°F38°F37%15%
May 1566°F40°F39%17%
May 2268°F42°F42%20%
May 3170°F44°F44%22%
Every day of May: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon May 31, coldest night May 1)
Missoula: NOAA 1991-2020 daily normals for each day of May
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 inDaylight
May 161°F35°F36%14%14 h 20 min
May 262°F36°F36%14%14 h 30 min
May 362°F36°F36%14%14 h 30 min
May 463°F36°F37%14%14 h 30 min
May 563°F37°F37%14%14 h 30 min
May 663°F37°F37%15%14 h 40 min
May 764°F37°F37%15%14 h 40 min
May 864°F38°F37%15%14 h 40 min
May 964°F38°F37%15%14 h 40 min
May 1065°F38°F37%16%14 h 50 min
May 1165°F38°F38%16%14 h 50 min
May 1266°F39°F38%16%14 h 50 min
May 1366°F39°F38%17%15 h
May 1466°F39°F39%17%15 h
May 1566°F40°F39%17%15 h
May 1667°F40°F39%18%15 h
May 1767°F40°F40%18%15 h 10 min
May 1867°F41°F40%18%15 h 10 min
May 1967°F41°F40%19%15 h 10 min
May 2068°F41°F41%19%15 h 10 min
May 2168°F41°F41%19%15 h 10 min
May 2268°F42°F42%20%15 h 20 min
May 2368°F42°F42%20%15 h 20 min
May 2469°F42°F42%20%15 h 20 min
May 2569°F42°F43%20%15 h 20 min
May 2669°F43°F43%21%15 h 30 min
May 2769°F43°F43%21%15 h 30 min
May 2869°F43°F43%21%15 h 30 min
May 2969°F43°F43%21%15 h 30 min
May 3069°F44°F44%21%15 h 30 min
May 3170°F44°F44%22%15 h 30 min
Normal high
66°FMay average
Normal low
40°FMay average
Precipitation
1.77 inmonth total
Days with precipitation
120.01 inch or more
Snowfall
0.3 inmonth total
Nights at 32°F or colder
4
Daylight
14 h 20 min to 15 h 30 minMay 1 to May 31
Days at 70°F or more
12
Days at 80°F or more
4
Sunshine
68%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024153; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.

Does it rain or snow in Missoula in May?

On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 40% on average, highest around May 31 (44%). In all, 1.77 in falls on 12 days of a normal May.

In a normal May in Missoula, 4 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.3 inches.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024153.

How humid and windy is Missoula in May?

At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 68°F with 38% relative humidity and a dew point of 41°F; at 6 a.m. it is 47°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 6.2 mph, most often from the northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.

A normal May day at the station, hour by hour (local standard time)
TimeTemperatureDew pointHumidityWindClear or few clouds
6 a.m.47°F42°F82%3.0 mph51%
9 a.m.56°F43°F62%4.8 mph52%
noon64°F42°F45%7.2 mph53%
3 p.m.68°F41°F38%9.4 mph46%
6 p.m.66°F41°F40%10.1 mph48%
9 p.m.58°F42°F57%7.0 mph54%

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024153. 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 Missoula?

The warmest May temperature on Missoula's official record (since 1893) is 95°F, on May 30, 1936; the coldest is 21°F, on May 1, 1954. The wettest May brought 7.38 in (1980); the snowiest, 8.1 inches (1978).

The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 53.0°F: 2021 51.5°F (−1.5), 2022 51.8°F (−1.2), 2023 61.3°F (+8.3), 2024 51.5°F (−1.5), 2025 55.5°F (+2.5), 2026 54.9°F (+1.9). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.

Missoula: May in recent years against the 1991-2020 normal
MayMeanAgainst normalPrecip.
202151.5°F−1.5°F2.61 in
202251.8°F−1.2°F1.12 in
202361.3°F+8.3°F2.57 in
202451.5°F−1.5°F2.16 in
202555.5°F+2.5°F1.10 in
202654.9°F+1.9°F2.12 in

Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MSOthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024153. Records and recent months use complete months only.

How does May in Missoula compare across Montana?

Across the 141 places PlainClimate covers in Montana, May normal highs run from 54°F in Cooke City to 72°F in Savage; Missoula's is 66°F.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.

Other months and places