Modesto weather in May: Modesto, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Modesto in May has a normal high of 82°F and a normal low of 54°F, a daily mean of 68°F, rising from 78°F on the 1st to 86°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 3 days in a normal May, 0.65 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 28°C and low of 12°C, 17 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationModesto City County Airport
- Station IDUSW00023258
- Location37.62°N 120.95°W
- Elevation73 ft (22 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population220,592
- Jan 56° 39°
- Feb 62° 42°
- Mar 68° 45°
- Apr 74° 48°
- May 82° 54°
- Jun 90° 59°
- Jul 95° 63°
- Aug 94° 62°
- Sep 89° 59°
- Oct 79° 52°
- Nov 66° 43°
- Dec 56° 39°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Modesto in May?
The normal high is 82°F and the normal low 54°F, for a daily mean of 67.8°F. May is 6.7°F warmer than April and 6.7°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Modesto and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 8°F, from 78°F on May 1 to 86°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 65°F and 71°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 12%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 78°F | 51°F | 12% | 6% |
| May 8 | 80°F | 52°F | 11% | 6% |
| May 15 | 82°F | 54°F | 9% | 5% |
| May 22 | 84°F | 55°F | 8% | 5% |
| May 31 | 86°F | 57°F | 6% | 3% |
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 | 78°F | 51°F | 12% | 6% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 2 | 78°F | 51°F | 12% | 6% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 3 | 79°F | 51°F | 12% | 6% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 4 | 79°F | 52°F | 11% | 6% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 79°F | 52°F | 11% | 6% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 6 | 80°F | 52°F | 11% | 6% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 7 | 80°F | 52°F | 11% | 6% | 14 h |
| May 8 | 80°F | 52°F | 11% | 6% | 14 h |
| May 9 | 80°F | 52°F | 10% | 6% | 14 h |
| May 10 | 81°F | 53°F | 10% | 6% | 14 h |
| May 11 | 81°F | 53°F | 10% | 6% | 14 h |
| May 12 | 81°F | 53°F | 10% | 5% | 14 h |
| May 13 | 81°F | 53°F | 10% | 5% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 82°F | 53°F | 10% | 5% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 15 | 82°F | 54°F | 9% | 5% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 16 | 82°F | 54°F | 9% | 5% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 17 | 82°F | 54°F | 9% | 5% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 18 | 83°F | 54°F | 9% | 5% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 19 | 83°F | 54°F | 9% | 5% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 20 | 83°F | 55°F | 9% | 5% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 21 | 83°F | 55°F | 8% | 5% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 22 | 84°F | 55°F | 8% | 5% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 23 | 84°F | 55°F | 8% | 4% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 24 | 84°F | 55°F | 8% | 4% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 25 | 84°F | 55°F | 8% | 4% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 26 | 84°F | 56°F | 7% | 4% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 85°F | 56°F | 7% | 4% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 28 | 85°F | 56°F | 7% | 4% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 29 | 85°F | 56°F | 7% | 4% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 30 | 85°F | 56°F | 6% | 4% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 31 | 86°F | 57°F | 6% | 3% | 14 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 82°FMay average
- Normal low
- 54°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 0.65 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 30.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 7
- Daylight
- 13 h 40 min to 14 h 30 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 29
- Days at 80°F or more
- 19
- Sunshine
- 92%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00023258; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Modesto in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 9% on average, highest around May 1 (12%). In all, 0.65 in falls on 3 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in Modesto, 7 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00023258.
What are the records for May in Modesto?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1927) is 107°F, on May 17, 2009; the coldest is 32°F, on May 5, 1959. The wettest May brought 3.95 in (1998).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 67.8°F: 2021 69.1°F (+1.3), 2022 67.7°F (−0.1), 2023 65.3°F (−2.5), 2024 67.8°F (at normal), 2025 70.3°F (+2.5), 2026 69.1°F (+1.3). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 69.1°F | +1.3°F | 0.00 in |
| 2022 | 67.7°F | −0.1°F | 0.00 in |
| 2023 | 65.3°F | −2.5°F | 0.40 in |
| 2024 | 67.8°F | at normal | 0.77 in |
| 2025 | 70.3°F | +2.5°F | 0.00 in |
| 2026 | 69.1°F | +1.3°F | 0.12 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00023258; recent months: ACIS, station USW00023258. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Modesto compare across California?
Across the 219 places PlainClimate covers in California, May normal highs run from 58°F in Tahoma to 96°F in Needles; Modesto's is 82°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.