Traverse City weather in May: Traverse City, Michigan: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Traverse City in May has a normal high of 67°F and a normal low of 43°F, a daily mean of 55°F, rising from 61°F on the 1st to 73°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal May, 2.84 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 20°C and low of 6°C, 72 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationTraverse City Cherry Capitol Airport
- Station IDUSW00014850
- Location44.74°N 85.58°W
- Elevation618 ft (188 m)
- Population15,782
- Jan 29° 17°
- Feb 31° 16°
- Mar 41° 23°
- Apr 54° 33°
- May 67° 43°
- Jun 77° 54°
- Jul 81° 59°
- Aug 80° 59°
- Sep 72° 52°
- Oct 59° 41°
- Nov 46° 32°
- Dec 35° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Traverse City in May?
The normal high is 67°F and the normal low 43°F, for a daily mean of 55.3°F. May is 11.9°F warmer than April and 10.3°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Traverse City and the 4th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 12°F, from 61°F on May 1 to 73°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 52°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 38%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 61°F | 38°F | 38% | 21% |
| May 8 | 64°F | 40°F | 38% | 21% |
| May 15 | 67°F | 43°F | 37% | 20% |
| May 22 | 70°F | 46°F | 37% | 20% |
| May 31 | 73°F | 49°F | 37% | 20% |
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 | 61°F | 38°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 2 | 62°F | 38°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 3 | 62°F | 39°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 4 | 62°F | 39°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 5 | 63°F | 39°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 6 | 63°F | 40°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 7 | 64°F | 40°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 8 | 64°F | 40°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 9 | 65°F | 41°F | 38% | 21% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 10 | 65°F | 41°F | 38% | 20% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 11 | 65°F | 42°F | 38% | 20% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 12 | 66°F | 42°F | 38% | 20% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 13 | 66°F | 42°F | 38% | 20% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 14 | 67°F | 43°F | 38% | 20% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 15 | 67°F | 43°F | 37% | 20% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 16 | 67°F | 43°F | 37% | 20% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 17 | 68°F | 44°F | 37% | 20% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 18 | 68°F | 44°F | 37% | 20% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 19 | 69°F | 45°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 20 | 69°F | 45°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 21 | 69°F | 45°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 22 | 70°F | 46°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 23 | 70°F | 46°F | 38% | 20% | 15 h |
| May 24 | 70°F | 46°F | 38% | 20% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 71°F | 47°F | 38% | 20% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 71°F | 47°F | 38% | 20% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 27 | 71°F | 48°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 28 | 72°F | 48°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 29 | 72°F | 48°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 30 | 72°F | 49°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 31 | 73°F | 49°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 67°FMay average
- Normal low
- 43°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 2.84 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 4
- Daylight
- 14 h 10 min to 15 h 20 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 12
- Days at 80°F or more
- 5
- Sunshine
- 71%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014850; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Traverse City in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 37% on average, highest around May 1 (38%). In all, 2.84 in falls on 12 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Traverse City, 1 days reach 90°F and 4 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014850.
How humid and windy is Traverse City in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 69°F with 49% relative humidity and a dew point of 49°F; at 6 a.m. it is 52°F with 84% humidity. The wind averages 6.1 mph, most often from the north-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. | 52°F | 47°F | 84% | 3.4 mph | 37% |
| 9 a.m. | 61°F | 49°F | 63% | 6.9 mph | 34% |
| noon | 67°F | 49°F | 51% | 9.4 mph | 25% |
| 3 p.m. | 69°F | 49°F | 49% | 9.9 mph | 27% |
| 6 p.m. | 66°F | 48°F | 52% | 8.6 mph | 31% |
| 9 p.m. | 59°F | 49°F | 69% | 3.7 mph | 35% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014850. 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 Traverse City?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1896) is 96°F, on May 12, 2022; the coldest is 17°F, on May 2, 1966. The wettest May brought 10.78 in (1942); the snowiest, 11.0 inches (1909).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 55.3°F: 2021 55.3°F (at normal), 2022 59.1°F (+3.9), 2023 56.5°F (+1.2), 2024 58.5°F (+3.2), 2025 53.6°F (−1.6), 2026 52.1°F (−3.2). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55.3°F | at normal | 3.26 in |
| 2022 | 59.1°F | +3.9°F | 1.09 in |
| 2023 | 56.5°F | +1.2°F | 1.42 in |
| 2024 | 58.5°F | +3.2°F | 3.36 in |
| 2025 | 53.6°F | −1.6°F | 2.54 in |
| 2026 | 52.1°F | −3.2°F | 2.77 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00014850; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014850. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Traverse City compare across Michigan?
Across the 140 places PlainClimate covers in Michigan, May normal highs run from 57°F in Harrisville to 73°F in Eau Claire; Traverse City's is 67°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.