Monterey weather in May: Monterey, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Monterey in May has a normal high of 65°F and a normal low of 50°F, a daily mean of 58°F, rising from 64°F on the 1st to 67°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 4 days in a normal May, 0.51 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 19°C and low of 10°C, 13 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationMonterey Peninsul Airport
- Station IDUSW00023259
- Location36.59°N 121.85°W
- Elevation165 ft (50 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population29,015
- Jan 62° 43°
- Feb 62° 45°
- Mar 63° 46°
- Apr 63° 47°
- May 65° 50°
- Jun 68° 52°
- Jul 69° 54°
- Aug 70° 55°
- Sep 71° 54°
- Oct 70° 51°
- Nov 65° 46°
- Dec 62° 43°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Monterey in May?
The normal high is 65°F and the normal low 50°F, for a daily mean of 57.7°F. May is 2.4°F warmer than April and 2.4°F cooler than June. May is the 6th warmest month of the year in Monterey and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 3°F, from 64°F on May 1 to 67°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 1.7°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 56°F and 59°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 16%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 64°F | 49°F | 16% | 7% |
| May 8 | 65°F | 49°F | 14% | 5% |
| May 15 | 65°F | 50°F | 13% | 4% |
| May 22 | 66°F | 50°F | 12% | 4% |
| May 31 | 67°F | 51°F | 10% | 2% |
Every day of May: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon May 30, coldest night May 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 64°F | 49°F | 16% | 7% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 2 | 64°F | 49°F | 16% | 6% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 3 | 64°F | 49°F | 15% | 6% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 4 | 65°F | 49°F | 15% | 6% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 65°F | 49°F | 15% | 6% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 6 | 65°F | 49°F | 15% | 6% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 7 | 65°F | 49°F | 14% | 5% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 8 | 65°F | 49°F | 14% | 5% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 9 | 65°F | 49°F | 14% | 5% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 65°F | 49°F | 14% | 5% | 14 h |
| May 11 | 65°F | 50°F | 13% | 5% | 14 h |
| May 12 | 65°F | 50°F | 13% | 5% | 14 h |
| May 13 | 65°F | 50°F | 13% | 5% | 14 h |
| May 14 | 65°F | 50°F | 13% | 4% | 14 h |
| May 15 | 65°F | 50°F | 13% | 4% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 16 | 65°F | 50°F | 13% | 4% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 17 | 65°F | 50°F | 13% | 4% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 18 | 66°F | 50°F | 13% | 4% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 19 | 66°F | 50°F | 12% | 4% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 20 | 66°F | 50°F | 12% | 4% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 21 | 66°F | 50°F | 12% | 4% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 22 | 66°F | 50°F | 12% | 4% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 23 | 66°F | 51°F | 12% | 3% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 24 | 66°F | 51°F | 11% | 3% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 25 | 66°F | 51°F | 11% | 3% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 26 | 66°F | 51°F | 11% | 3% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 27 | 66°F | 51°F | 11% | 3% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 28 | 66°F | 51°F | 11% | 3% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 29 | 67°F | 51°F | 10% | 3% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 30 | 67°F | 51°F | 10% | 3% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 31 | 67°F | 51°F | 10% | 2% | 14 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 65°FMay average
- Normal low
- 50°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 0.51 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 40.01 inch or more
- Daylight
- 13 h 40 min to 14 h 30 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 4
- Sunshine
- 88%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00023259; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Monterey in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 13% on average, highest around May 1 (16%). In all, 0.51 in falls on 4 days of a normal May.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00023259.
What are the records for May in Monterey?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1968) is 87°F, on May 2, 2013; the coldest is 40°F, on May 13, 2000. The wettest May brought 2.47 in (2019).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 57.7°F: 2021 58.5°F (+0.8), 2022 58.0°F (+0.3), 2023 55.5°F (−2.2), 2024 56.0°F (−1.8), 2025 57.9°F (+0.2), 2026 57.1°F (−0.6). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58.5°F | +0.8°F | 0.00 in |
| 2022 | 58.0°F | +0.3°F | 0.00 in |
| 2023 | 55.5°F | −2.2°F | 0.57 in |
| 2024 | 56.0°F | −1.8°F | 0.78 in |
| 2025 | 57.9°F | +0.2°F | 0.12 in |
| 2026 | 57.1°F | −0.6°F | 0.73 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00023259; recent months: ACIS, station USW00023259. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Monterey 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; Monterey's is 65°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.