Santa Cruz del Quiché weather in May

In May, Santa Cruz del Quiché sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 175 mm of rain across 19.4 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Santa Cruz del Quiché's 7th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Cruz del Quiché's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
12°
10th coldest
Rainfall
175 mm
19.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 42 min
5:40 AM – 6:22 PM
Cloud cover
77%
7th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.68 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical May day in Santa Cruz del Quiché reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C cooler than April and about 1°C warmer than June.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12312
22312
32312
42312
52312
62312
72312
82312
92312
102312
112312
122312
132312
142312
152312
162312
172212
182212
192212
202212
212212
222212
232212
242212
252212
262212
272212
282212
292212
302213
312213

Santa Cruz del Quiché weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 3rd-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan20° / 92.811.27.6
Feb21° / 82.311.58.1
Mar23° / 10°235.111.98.0
Apr24° / 11°601012.37.0
May23° / 12°17519.412.75.1
Jun21° / 13°28125.812.93.9
Jul21° / 12°15321.112.84.6
Aug21° / 12°18622.912.54.4
Sep21° / 12°26426.512.13.8
Oct20° / 12°18320.711.74.6
Nov20° / 11°428.211.36.4
Dec20° / 173.711.17.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 80%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23466
33367
43367
53169
62971
72872
82674
92674
102476
112377
122278
132080
141981
151882
161684
171684
181585
191486
201486
211486
221486
231387
241288
251288
261288
271288
281288
291189
301189
311189

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Santa Cruz del Quiché gets around 175 mm of rain over 19.4 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 63% and peaks near 82% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
144
245
346
447
548
649
751
852
954
1055
1157
1259
1360
1462
1563
1665
1766
1868
1969
2070
2171
2272
2373
2473
2574
2676
2777
2878
2979
3080
3182

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 63% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
183170
282180
381190
480200
579210
678220
777230
876240
974260
1073270
1171290
1269310
1367330
1466340
1564360
1662380
1761390
1860400
1958420
2056431
2155441
2254451
2353461
2451481
2550491
2649501
2747521
2845541
2943570
3041590
3139610

Wind in May

Winds average 5 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:46 AM to 5:37 AM, and sunset from 6:18 PM to 6:27 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.55:466:18
212.55:456:18
312.65:456:18
412.65:446:18
512.65:446:19
612.65:446:19
712.65:436:19
812.65:436:19
912.65:426:20
1012.65:426:20
1112.65:426:20
1212.75:416:21
1312.75:416:21
1412.75:416:21
1512.75:406:21
1612.75:406:22
1712.75:406:22
1812.75:396:22
1912.75:396:23
2012.75:396:23
2112.75:396:23
2212.85:396:24
2312.85:386:24
2412.85:386:24
2512.85:386:25
2612.85:386:25
2712.85:386:25
2812.85:386:26
2912.85:386:26
3012.85:386:26
3112.85:376:27

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.68 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.56 kWh/m² to a high of 6.51 kWh/m² in April across the year — May's 5.68 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
86.0Intense
96.0Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Santa Cruz del Quiché

In seasonPeak

In May, Santa Cruz del Quiché sits inside its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Santa Cruz del Quiché's monsoon runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Santa Cruz del Quiché?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
3.8
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Santa Cruz del Quiché for sightseeing.

What to pack for Santa Cruz del Quiché in May

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

In May, Santa Cruz del Quiché sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 12°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 19 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Santa Cruz del Quiché in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Santa Cruz del Quiché peaks around April 13 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highApr 13UV 15Dec 17UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Very high
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun14Extreme
Jul14Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Santa Cruz del Quiché 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 Santa Cruz del Quiché is worst in May — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMay 934 µg/m³Aug 1622 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan23Moderate
Feb22Moderate
Mar25Moderate
Apr34Moderate
May34Moderate
Jun23Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov23Moderate
Dec25Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Santa Cruz del Quiché?

Santa Cruz del Quiché sits at 15.0°N, 91.1°W, 1,979 m above sea level, in Guatemala. The nearest listed city is Chichicastenango, 10 km away.

TotonicapánNahualáMomostenangoSololáPanajachelSan Francisco El AltoTecpán Guatemala

Topography around Santa Cruz del Quiché

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Santa Cruz del Quiché.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Santa Cruz del Quiché has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 299 m around an average of 2,014 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,428 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,872 m.

The land around Santa Cruz del Quiché is covered by trees (41%), cropland (23%) and grassland (22%) within 3 km, trees (69%) within 16 km, and trees (79%) within 80 km.

3 km
299 m
16 km
1,428 m
80 km
3,872 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Chichicastenango 10 km · Totonicapán 26 km · Nahualá 28 km · Momostenango 28 km · Sololá 29 km · Panajachel 32 km · San Francisco El Alto 33 km · Tecpán Guatemala 34 km

Guatemala travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 43% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,598
2025
Happiness
6.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
49%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
23.4
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
22.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 510
Religion
Evangelical 46%Roman Catholic 42%none 11%

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 Santa Cruz del Quiché (15.0299°, -91.1488°, elevation 1,979 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).