Whistler weather in May

In May, Whistler sees average daytime highs of 9°C and overnight lows near 1°C, with 125 mm of precipitation across 15.8 wet days and about 15.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 7°C in the first days to 11°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 24 min at the start of May to 15 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Whistler's 5th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Whistler's year-round climate.

Daytime high
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
125 mm
15.8 wet days
Daylight
15 h 12 min
4:32 AM – 7:44 PM
Cloud cover
72%
5th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.77 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.6
out of 10

Whistler is town in British Columbia, Canada.

Air quality
Excellent
PM2.5 5 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
36/km²
people per km²
Founded
1914

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 7°C in the first days to 11°C by the end.

A typical May day in Whistler reaches about 9°C in the afternoon and slips back to 1°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 4°C and 16°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 5°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
17-1
27-1
37-1
47-1
57-1
68-1
78-1
880
980
1080
1190
1290
1390
1490
1590
1691
17101
18101
19101
20101
21101
22101
23101
24112
25112
26112
27112
28112
29112
30112
31112

How May really feels in Whistler

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 12 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
12
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Whistler weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-3° / -8°35019.219.88.30.0
Feb-1° / -7°21515.315.99.70.0
Mar / -5°29119.919.911.50.0
Apr / -3°16916.415.413.50.1
May / 12515.87.515.21.6
Jun13° / 12216.92.116.13.0
Jul17° / 8010.80.115.75.6
Aug18° / 8510.30.114.35.7
Sep13° / 13511.81.912.43.6
Oct / -1°27317.312.310.50.5
Nov-1° / -6°39119.818.98.80.0
Dec-4° / -8°34219.119.77.90.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 72%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12971
22971
33070
43070
53070
63070
73070
83070
93070
102971
112971
122872
132872
142773
152773
162773
172773
182773
192674
202674
212674
222674
232575
242674
252674
262674
272773
282674
292674
302674
312674

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Whistler gets around 125 mm of rain and snow over 15.8 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 51% and peaks near 57% on the wettest days, and about 8 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14941
24840
34839
44737
54736
64635
74633
84632
94631
104629
114628
124726
134725
144824
154923
165022
175121
185120
195220
205319
215418
225518
235517
245616
255615
265615
275714
285713
295713
305713
315712

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 (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 4 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 24 min at the start of May to 15 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 84 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:57 AM to 4:15 AM, and sunset from 7:21 PM to 8:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.44:577:21
214.54:557:23
314.54:537:24
414.64:517:26
514.64:507:27
614.74:487:29
714.74:467:30
814.84:457:32
914.84:437:33
1014.94:417:35
1114.94:407:36
1215.04:387:38
1315.04:377:39
1415.14:357:41
1515.14:347:42
1615.24:327:44
1715.24:317:45
1815.34:307:47
1915.34:287:48
2015.44:277:49
2115.44:267:51
2215.54:257:52
2315.54:237:53
2415.54:227:55
2515.64:217:56
2615.64:207:57
2715.74:197:58
2815.74:188:00
2915.74:178:01
3015.84:168:02
3115.84:158:03

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.77 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.85 kWh/m² to a high of 5.98 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.77 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Whistler

In seasonPeak

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

Whistler's rainy season runs October–March, 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 Whistler?

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

1.6
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Whistler.

What to pack for Whistler in May

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

In May, Whistler sees daytime highs around 9°C and nights near 1°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 16 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

UV index in Whistler in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Whistler peaks around July 17 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateVery highHighModerateLowJul 17UV 8Dec 18UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May8Very high
Jun7High
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep4Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Whistler?

Whistler sits at 50.1°N, 123.0°W, 0 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Squamish, 49 km away.

Topography around Whistler

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Whistler has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 852 m around an average of 826 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,493 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,912 m.

The land around Whistler is covered by trees (79%) within 3 km, trees (70%) within 16 km, and trees (62%) within 80 km.

3 km
852 m
16 km
2,493 m
80 km
2,912 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
May weather nearby: Squamish 49 km · Central Lonsdale 89 km · West Vancouver 89 km · North Vancouver 90 km · Lower Lonsdale 90 km · Westwood Plateau 91 km · Hastings-Sunrise 93 km · Coquitlam 94 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 Whistler (50.1182°, -122.954°, elevation 0 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).