North Cowichan weather in May

In May, North Cowichan sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 8°C, with 70 mm of precipitation across 11.4 wet days and about 15 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 15°C in the first days to 18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 18 min at the start of May to 15 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is North Cowichan's 6th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see North Cowichan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
70 mm
11.4 wet days
Daylight
15 hours
4:40 AM – 7:42 PM
Cloud cover
66%
6th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.0
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 15°C in the first days to 18°C by the end.

A typical May day in North Cowichan reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 8°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 12°C and 22°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1146
2156
3156
4156
5156
6156
7157
8167
9167
10167
11167
12167
13167
14167
15178
16178
17178
18178
19178
20178
21178
22178
23179
24179
25189
26189
27189
28189
29189
30189
31189

How May really feels in North Cowichan

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

North Cowichan weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 21317.87.18.50.1
Feb / 13314.46.39.80.7
Mar / 15717.46.611.61.4
Apr12° / 11015.61.713.42.8
May16° / 7011.40.1155.0
Jun19° / 10°529.3015.96.2
Jul23° / 13°275015.57.8
Aug23° / 13°395.1014.27.9
Sep19° / 10°668.7012.46.5
Oct13° / 14013.70.210.53.4
Nov / 21218.13.88.91.0
Dec / 21017.78.68.10.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23565
33565
43664
53664
63664
73763
83763
93763
103763
113763
123763
133763
143763
153664
163664
173664
183565
193565
203565
213466
223565
233565
243466
253466
263466
273466
283466
293466
303466
313565

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

North Cowichan gets around 70 mm of rain and snow over 11.4 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 37% and peaks near 44% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
144
243
342
441
540
639
738
837
936
1035
1135
1234
1334
1434
1534
1634
1734
1834
1935
2035
2136
2236
2336
2437
2537
2637
2737
2837
2936
3036
3136

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in May

Winds average 6 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 18 min at the start of May to 15 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 78 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:03 AM to 4:24 AM, and sunset from 7:21 PM to 8:00 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.35:037:21
214.35:017:22
314.45:007:24
414.54:587:25
514.54:567:27
614.64:557:28
714.64:537:30
814.74:517:31
914.74:507:32
1014.84:487:34
1114.84:477:35
1214.94:457:37
1314.94:447:38
1415.04:427:40
1515.04:417:41
1615.04:407:42
1715.14:387:44
1815.14:377:45
1915.24:367:46
2015.24:357:48
2115.34:337:49
2215.34:327:50
2315.34:317:51
2415.44:307:53
2515.44:297:54
2615.44:287:55
2715.54:277:56
2815.54:267:57
2915.54:257:58
3015.64:257:59
3115.64:248:00

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.78 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.83 kWh/m² to a high of 6.62 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.78 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.4Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
275.9Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for North Cowichan

In seasonPeak

None of North Cowichan's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

North Cowichan's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit North Cowichan?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit North Cowichan for sightseeing.

What to pack for North Cowichan in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, North Cowichan sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 8°C. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near North Cowichan in May

The nearest coast averages about 12°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 23 km away) is warmest in August at about 16°C and coldest in January near 7°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

5°10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan7Bracing
Feb7Bracing
Mar8Bracing
Apr10Bracing
May12Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul16Cool
Aug16Cool
Sep14Bracing
Oct11Bracing
Nov9Bracing
Dec8Bracing

UV index in North Cowichan in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in North Cowichan peaks around July 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 18UV 8Dec 19UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun6High
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in North Cowichan in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in North Cowichan is worst in October — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.7× the cleanest month (December, 4 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodOct 1815 µg/m³Dec 225 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb6Good
Mar9Good
Apr9Good
May9Good
Jun8Good
Jul8Good
Aug12Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct16Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec4Good
Location & terrain

Where is North Cowichan?

North Cowichan sits at 48.8°N, 123.7°W, 145 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Duncan, 7.0 km away.

Topography around North Cowichan

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of North Cowichan.

Within 3 km, the terrain around North Cowichan has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 359 m around an average of 96 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,265 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,725 m.

The land around North Cowichan is covered by trees (73%) and grassland (24%) within 3 km, trees (63%) and water (23%) within 16 km, and water (47%) and trees (46%) within 80 km.

3 km
359 m
16 km
1,265 m
80 km
1,725 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Duncan 7.0 km · Central Saanich 36 km · Harewood 39 km · Saanich 40 km · Nanaimo 41 km · Langford 46 km · Carey 46 km · Colwood 48 km

Canada travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 83% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$55,698
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 53%none 35%Muslim 5%Hindu 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for North Cowichan (48.8413°, -123.686°, elevation 145 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).