South Bend weather in May: South Bend, Indiana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
South Bend in May has a normal high of 70°F and a normal low of 48°F, a daily mean of 59°F, rising from 65°F on the 1st to 75°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 4.20 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 9°C, 107 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationSouth Bend Airport
- Station IDUSW00014848
- Location41.71°N 86.32°W
- Elevation773 ft (236 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population103,713
- Jan 31° 17°
- Feb 35° 19°
- Mar 46° 27°
- Apr 59° 37°
- May 70° 48°
- Jun 79° 58°
- Jul 83° 62°
- Aug 81° 61°
- Sep 74° 53°
- Oct 62° 42°
- Nov 48° 32°
- Dec 36° 23°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is South Bend in May?
The normal high is 70°F and the normal low 48°F, for a daily mean of 59.1°F. May is 11.0°F warmer than April and 9.7°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in South Bend and the wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 10°F, from 65°F on May 1 to 75°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 56°F and 63°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 | 65°F | 43°F | 44% | 26% |
| May 8 | 68°F | 45°F | 43% | 26% |
| May 15 | 70°F | 48°F | 43% | 26% |
| May 22 | 72°F | 50°F | 42% | 26% |
| May 31 | 75°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 | 65°F | 43°F | 44% | 26% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 65°F | 43°F | 44% | 26% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 66°F | 44°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 66°F | 44°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 66°F | 44°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 67°F | 45°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 67°F | 45°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 68°F | 45°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 68°F | 46°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 68°F | 46°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 69°F | 46°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 69°F | 47°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 13 | 69°F | 47°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 70°F | 47°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 70°F | 48°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 70°F | 48°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 71°F | 48°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 18 | 71°F | 49°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 71°F | 49°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 72°F | 50°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 72°F | 50°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 72°F | 50°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 23 | 72°F | 51°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 73°F | 51°F | 42% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 73°F | 51°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 26 | 73°F | 52°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 74°F | 52°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 74°F | 52°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 29 | 74°F | 53°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 30 | 75°F | 53°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 31 | 75°F | 53°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
- Normal high
- 70°FMay average
- Normal low
- 48°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.20 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 hMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 17
- Days at 80°F or more
- 7
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014848; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in South Bend in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 42% on average, highest around May 1 (44%). In all, 4.20 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in South Bend, 1 days reach 90°F and 1 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014848.
How humid and windy is South Bend in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 73°F with 51% relative humidity and a dew point of 54°F; at 6 a.m. it is 57°F with 84% humidity. The wind averages 8.2 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 57°F | 52°F | 84% | 5.9 mph | 59% |
| 9 a.m. | 65°F | 54°F | 67% | 9.0 mph | 58% |
| noon | 71°F | 54°F | 55% | 10.8 mph | 53% |
| 3 p.m. | 73°F | 54°F | 51% | 11.4 mph | 51% |
| 6 p.m. | 71°F | 53°F | 53% | 10.4 mph | 62% |
| 9 p.m. | 64°F | 53°F | 67% | 6.5 mph | 60% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014848. 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 South Bend?
The warmest May temperature on South Bend's official record (since 1893) is 97°F, on May 27, 2012; the coldest is 24°F, on May 6, 1968. The wettest May brought 8.33 in (2018); the snowiest, 10.0 inches (1929).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 59.1°F: 2021 58.9°F (−0.2), 2022 63.4°F (+4.3), 2023 61.2°F (+2.1), 2024 64.0°F (+4.9), 2025 58.1°F (−1.0), 2026 58.0°F (−1.1). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58.9°F | −0.2°F | 2.97 in |
| 2022 | 63.4°F | +4.3°F | 3.13 in |
| 2023 | 61.2°F | +2.1°F | 1.80 in |
| 2024 | 64.0°F | +4.9°F | 3.49 in |
| 2025 | 58.1°F | −1.0°F | 2.08 in |
| 2026 | 58.0°F | −1.1°F | 1.70 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record SBNthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014848. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in South Bend compare across Indiana?
Across the 99 places PlainClimate covers in Indiana, May normal highs run from 69°F in Angola to 79°F in Boonville; South Bend's is 70°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.