South Lake Tahoe weather in May: South Lake Tahoe, California: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
South Lake Tahoe in May has a normal high of 62°F and a normal low of 33°F, a daily mean of 48°F, rising from 57°F on the 1st to 67°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal May, 1.32 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 17°C and low of 1°C, 34 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationSouth Lake Tahoe Airport
- Station IDUSW00093230
- Location38.90°N 119.99°W
- Elevation6,314 ft (1,925 m)
- Population21,225
- Jan 43° 18°
- Feb 43° 19°
- Mar 48° 24°
- Apr 53° 28°
- May 62° 33°
- Jun 72° 38°
- Jul 80° 43°
- Aug 80° 41°
- Sep 73° 35°
- Oct 62° 29°
- Nov 51° 23°
- Dec 43° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is South Lake Tahoe in May?
The normal high is 62°F and the normal low 33°F, for a daily mean of 47.6°F. May is 7.2°F warmer than April and 7.5°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in South Lake Tahoe and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 10°F, from 57°F on May 1 to 67°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 45°F and 51°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 25%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 57°F | 30°F | 25% | 12% |
| May 8 | 60°F | 32°F | 24% | 12% |
| May 15 | 62°F | 33°F | 23% | 12% |
| May 22 | 64°F | 35°F | 22% | 11% |
| May 31 | 67°F | 36°F | 18% | 8% |
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 | 57°F | 30°F | 25% | 12% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 2 | 58°F | 30°F | 24% | 12% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 3 | 58°F | 30°F | 24% | 12% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 4 | 58°F | 31°F | 24% | 12% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 59°F | 31°F | 24% | 12% | 14 h |
| May 6 | 59°F | 31°F | 24% | 12% | 14 h |
| May 7 | 59°F | 31°F | 24% | 12% | 14 h |
| May 8 | 60°F | 32°F | 24% | 12% | 14 h |
| May 9 | 60°F | 32°F | 24% | 12% | 14 h |
| May 10 | 60°F | 32°F | 24% | 12% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 11 | 61°F | 32°F | 24% | 12% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 12 | 61°F | 33°F | 24% | 12% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 13 | 61°F | 33°F | 23% | 12% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 62°F | 33°F | 23% | 12% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 15 | 62°F | 33°F | 23% | 12% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 16 | 62°F | 33°F | 23% | 11% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 17 | 63°F | 34°F | 23% | 11% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 18 | 63°F | 34°F | 23% | 11% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 19 | 63°F | 34°F | 23% | 11% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 20 | 63°F | 34°F | 22% | 11% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 21 | 64°F | 34°F | 22% | 11% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 22 | 64°F | 35°F | 22% | 11% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 23 | 64°F | 35°F | 22% | 10% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 24 | 65°F | 35°F | 21% | 10% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 25 | 65°F | 35°F | 21% | 10% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 26 | 65°F | 35°F | 20% | 10% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 66°F | 35°F | 20% | 9% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 28 | 66°F | 36°F | 19% | 9% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 29 | 66°F | 36°F | 19% | 9% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 30 | 66°F | 36°F | 18% | 8% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 31 | 67°F | 36°F | 18% | 8% | 14 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 62°FMay average
- Normal low
- 33°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 1.32 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 15
- Daylight
- 13 h 50 min to 14 h 40 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 8
- Days at 80°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 82%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093230; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in South Lake Tahoe in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 22% on average, highest around May 1 (25%). In all, 1.32 in falls on 7 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in South Lake Tahoe, 15 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093230.
What are the records for May in South Lake Tahoe?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1968) is 84°F, on May 30, 1986; the coldest is 7°F, on May 18, 1974. The wettest May brought 3.04 in (2005); the snowiest, 4.5 inches (2011).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 47.6°F: 2021 48.6°F (+1.0), 2022 46.7°F (−0.9), 2023 47.5°F (−0.1), 2024 47.8°F (+0.2), 2025 49.6°F (+2.0), 2026 48.9°F (+1.3). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.6°F | +1.0°F | 0.58 in |
| 2022 | 46.7°F | −0.9°F | 0.40 in |
| 2023 | 47.5°F | −0.1°F | 1.21 in |
| 2024 | 47.8°F | +0.2°F | 0.57 in |
| 2025 | 49.6°F | +2.0°F | 0.47 in |
| 2026 | 48.9°F | +1.3°F | 0.97 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093230; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093230. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in South Lake Tahoe 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; South Lake Tahoe's is 62°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- South Lake Tahoe in April53°F by day, 28°F at night
- South Lake Tahoe in June72°F by day, 38°F at night
- South Lake Tahoe through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- California in MayThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Needles: California's warmest Maynormal high 96°F