Salem weather in May: Salem, Oregon: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Salem in May has a normal high of 69°F and a normal low of 46°F, a daily mean of 58°F, rising from 66°F on the 1st to 71°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal May, 2.25 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 8°C, 57 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationSalem Airport (McNary Field)
- Station IDUSW00024232
- Location44.91°N 123.00°W
- Elevation205 ft (63 m)
- Population180,406
- Jan 48° 36°
- Feb 52° 36°
- Mar 57° 38°
- Apr 62° 41°
- May 69° 46°
- Jun 75° 51°
- Jul 84° 55°
- Aug 84° 55°
- Sep 78° 51°
- Oct 65° 44°
- Nov 54° 39°
- Dec 47° 35°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Salem in May?
The normal high is 69°F and the normal low 46°F, for a daily mean of 57.7°F. May is 6.4°F warmer than April and 5.0°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Salem and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 5°F, from 66°F on May 1 to 71°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 55°F and 60°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 44%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 66°F | 43°F | 44% | 25% |
| May 8 | 68°F | 45°F | 40% | 22% |
| May 15 | 69°F | 46°F | 38% | 21% |
| May 22 | 70°F | 48°F | 37% | 20% |
| May 31 | 71°F | 49°F | 34% | 17% |
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 | 66°F | 43°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 2 | 66°F | 44°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 3 | 66°F | 44°F | 43% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 4 | 66°F | 44°F | 42% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 5 | 67°F | 44°F | 42% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 6 | 67°F | 44°F | 41% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 7 | 67°F | 45°F | 41% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 8 | 68°F | 45°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 9 | 68°F | 45°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 10 | 68°F | 45°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 11 | 68°F | 46°F | 39% | 21% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 12 | 69°F | 46°F | 39% | 21% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 13 | 69°F | 46°F | 39% | 21% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 14 | 69°F | 46°F | 39% | 21% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 15 | 69°F | 46°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 16 | 69°F | 47°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 17 | 70°F | 47°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 18 | 70°F | 47°F | 38% | 20% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 19 | 70°F | 47°F | 38% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 20 | 70°F | 47°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 21 | 70°F | 47°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 22 | 70°F | 48°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 23 | 70°F | 48°F | 36% | 19% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 24 | 71°F | 48°F | 36% | 19% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 71°F | 48°F | 36% | 19% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 71°F | 48°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 27 | 71°F | 48°F | 35% | 18% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 28 | 71°F | 48°F | 35% | 18% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 29 | 71°F | 49°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 30 | 71°F | 49°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 31 | 71°F | 49°F | 34% | 17% | 15 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 69°FMay average
- Normal low
- 46°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 2.25 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h 10 min to 15 h 20 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 13
- Days at 80°F or more
- 5
- Sunshine
- 71%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024232; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Salem in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 38% on average, highest around May 1 (44%). In all, 2.25 in falls on 12 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in Salem, 1 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024232.
How humid and windy is Salem in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 70°F with 48% relative humidity and a dew point of 49°F; at 6 a.m. it is 53°F with 84% humidity. The wind averages 6.2 mph, most often from the west-northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 53°F | 48°F | 84% | 3.8 mph | 44% |
| 9 a.m. | 60°F | 49°F | 66% | 6.3 mph | 41% |
| noon | 66°F | 49°F | 55% | 7.1 mph | 44% |
| 3 p.m. | 70°F | 49°F | 48% | 8.4 mph | 46% |
| 6 p.m. | 67°F | 49°F | 52% | 9.6 mph | 48% |
| 9 p.m. | 59°F | 48°F | 67% | 6.1 mph | 57% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024232. 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 Salem?
The warmest May temperature on Salem's official record (since 1893) is 100°F, on May 28, 1983; the coldest is 25°F, on May 1, 1954. The wettest May brought 6.23 in (1895).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 57.7°F: 2021 59.4°F (+1.7), 2022 55.7°F (−2.0), 2023 61.9°F (+4.2), 2024 57.0°F (−0.7), 2025 57.9°F (+0.1), 2026 59.6°F (+1.9). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59.4°F | +1.7°F | 0.94 in |
| 2022 | 55.7°F | −2.0°F | 4.08 in |
| 2023 | 61.9°F | +4.2°F | 0.61 in |
| 2024 | 57.0°F | −0.7°F | 2.85 in |
| 2025 | 57.9°F | +0.1°F | 0.81 in |
| 2026 | 59.6°F | +1.9°F | 0.65 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record SLEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024232. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Salem compare across Oregon?
Across the 105 places PlainClimate covers in Oregon, May normal highs run from 54°F in Government Camp to 76°F in Ontario; Salem's is 69°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.