San Diego weather in May

In May, San Diego sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 569 mm of rain across 30.6 wet days and about 12.5 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is San Diego's 12th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Diego's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
8th warmest
Overnight low
23°
12th coldest
Rainfall
569 mm
30.6 wet days
Daylight
12 h 30 min
5:35 AM – 6:03 PM
Cloud cover
92%
12th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.7
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.

A typical May day in San Diego reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12922
22922
32922
42922
52923
62923
72923
82923
92923
102923
112923
122923
132923
142923
152923
162923
172923
182923
192923
202923
212923
222923
232923
242922
252922
262922
272922
282922
292922
302922
312922

How May really feels in San Diego

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.

San Diego weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 20°53711.55.8
Feb30° / 21°74811.75.5
Mar30° / 21°18914.511.94.7
Apr29° / 22°41024.212.23.4
May29° / 23°56930.612.52.7
Jun30° / 22°38528.212.62.8
Jul30° / 22°26027.312.52.7
Aug30° / 22°37928.812.32.6
Sep30° / 22°47129.412.12.6
Oct29° / 22°5083011.82.9
Nov28° / 21°35526.311.53.5
Dec29° / 21°1301611.44.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 3% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 95%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1694
2694
3694
4595
5595
6595
7595
8595
9496
10496
11496
12496
13496
14496
15496
16397
17496
18496
19496
20496
21496
22496
23595
24595
25595
26595
27694
28694
29694
30793
31793

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

San Diego gets around 569 mm of rain over 30.6 wet days in May, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 98% and peaks near 99% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
195
296
396
497
597
697
798
898
998
1098
1198
1298
1398
1498
1598
1698
1799
1899
1999
2099
2199
2299
2399
2499
2599
2699
2799
2899
2999
3099
3199

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 62% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
114257
204159
304159
404060
503961
603961
703862
803862
903763
1003664
1103664
1203565
1303565
1403565
1503565
1603565
1703565
1803565
1903565
2003565
2103664
2203664
2303664
2403763
2503763
2603862
2703961
2803961
2904060
3004060
3104159

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 12 h 24 min at the start of May to 12 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:39 AM to 5:33 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 6:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.45:396:01
212.45:396:01
312.45:386:01
412.45:386:01
512.45:386:01
612.45:376:01
712.45:376:02
812.45:376:02
912.45:366:02
1012.45:366:02
1112.45:366:02
1212.45:366:02
1312.55:356:03
1412.55:356:03
1512.55:356:03
1612.55:356:03
1712.55:356:03
1812.55:346:04
1912.55:346:04
2012.55:346:04
2112.55:346:04
2212.55:346:04
2312.55:346:05
2412.55:346:05
2512.55:346:05
2612.55:346:05
2712.55:346:06
2812.55:336:06
2912.55:336:06
3012.65:336:06
3112.65:336:07

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 4.65 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.37 kWh/m² to a high of 5.87 kWh/m² in February across the year — May's 4.65 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.8Bright
54.7Bright
64.7Bright
74.7Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.7Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.7Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.6Bright
224.6Bright
234.6Bright
244.6Bright
254.7Bright
264.7Bright
274.7Bright
284.7Bright
294.7Bright
304.7Bright
314.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit San Diego?

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

2.7
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
3.6
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in San Diego.

What to pack for San Diego in May

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

In May, San Diego sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 31 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in San Diego in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in San Diego peaks around April 12 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 12 at about 10 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highApr 12UV 14Dec 12UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov10Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in San Diego 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 San Diego is worst in March — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.6× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodMar 1832 µg/m³Dec 119 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb19Moderate
Mar34Moderate
Apr23Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is San Diego?

San Diego sits at 10.3°N, 73.2°W, 180 m above sea level, in Colombia. The nearest listed city is Valledupar, 17 km away.

Topography around San Diego

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around San Diego has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 215 m around an average of 170 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,747 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,632 m.

The land around San Diego is covered by grassland (49%) and trees (40%) within 3 km, trees (55%) and grassland (38%) within 16 km, and trees (64%) and grassland (31%) within 80 km.

3 km
215 m
16 km
1,747 m
80 km
5,632 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
May weather nearby: Valledupar 17 km · Agustín Codazzi 34 km · Villanueva 38 km · San Juan del Cesar 52 km · Becerril 71 km · Fonseca 71 km · Machiques 75 km · Barrancas 81 km

Colombia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 / 240 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 38% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$8,562
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
74%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
24.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
15.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 480
Religion
Roman Catholic 64%Protestant 17%none 14%atheist 1%

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 San Diego (10.3338°, -73.1805°, elevation 180 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. 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).