Norilsk weather in May

In May, Norilsk sees average daytime highs of -1°C and overnight lows near -7°C, with 50 mm of precipitation across 10.3 wet days and about 20.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about -5°C in the first days to 4°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 17 h 48 min at the start of May to 24 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Norilsk's 4th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Norilsk's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-1°
5th warmest
Overnight low
-7°
8th coldest
Precipitation
50 mm
10.3 wet days
Daylight
20 h 30 min
2:47 AM – 11:20 PM
Cloud cover
74%
4th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.55 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Norilsk is city in Russia.

Density
6,079/km²
people per km²
Founded
1935

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 -5°C in the first days to 4°C by the end.

A typical May day in Norilsk reaches about -1°C in the afternoon and slips back to -7°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -7°C and 5°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°C warmer than April and about 11°C cooler than June.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1-5-12
2-5-12
3-5-12
4-4-11
5-4-11
6-4-11
7-3-10
8-3-10
9-3-10
10-3-9
11-2-9
12-2-8
13-2-8
14-1-8
15-1-7
16-1-7
17-1-7
180-6
190-6
200-5
211-5
221-5
231-4
242-4
252-3
263-3
273-3
283-2
294-2
304-1
314-1

How May really feels in Norilsk

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 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
31
21 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

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

Norilsk weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-24° / -30°328.81210.0
Feb-23° / -29°307.810.86.50.0
Mar-16° / -23°389.712.1110.0
Apr-9° / -16°459.510.915.40.0
May-1° / -7°5010.39.620.90.0
Jun11° / 6411.72.5242.3
Jul17° / 10°7511.2023.25.1
Aug14° / 8513.50.217.53.6
Sep / 7012.44.512.90.7
Oct-6° / -11°7414.114.88.50.0
Nov-18° / -23°479.612.32.90.0
Dec-23° / -28°421013.500.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 72%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13070
23070
33070
43070
53070
63070
73070
82971
92971
102872
112872
122872
132971
142971
152971
162872
172872
182872
192872
202674
212674
222674
232476
242476
252575
262575
272575
282575
292674
302674
312773

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Norilsk gets around 50 mm of rain and snow over 10.3 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 33% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 10 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12730
22730
32730
42831
52831
62931
72931
83032
93032
103132
113132
123232
133232
143331
153331
163331
173431
183431
193431
203531
213531
223630
233630
243629
253629
263628
273627
283626
293625
303624
313623

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 14 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 17 h 48 min at the start of May to 24 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
117.84:119:58
217.94:0610:03
318.14:0110:08
418.33:5610:12
518.53:5010:17
618.63:4510:23
718.83:4010:28
819.03:3410:33
919.23:2910:38
1019.33:2310:44
1119.53:1810:49
1219.73:1210:55
1319.93:0611:01
1420.13:0011:07
1520.32:5411:13
1620.52:4711:20
1720.82:4011:27
1821.02:3311:34
1921.32:2611:41
2021.52:1811:49
2121.82:1011:58
2222.12:0012:07
2322.51:4912:19
2423.01:3412:34
2524.0
2624.0
2724.0
2824.0
2924.0
3024.0
3124.0

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.55 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0 kWh/m² to a high of 5.55 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.55 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.1Bright
35.1Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.4Bright
105.4Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Norilsk?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Norilsk.

What to pack for Norilsk in May

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

In May, Norilsk sees daytime highs around -1°C and nights near -7°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gearsun protection

UV index in Norilsk in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Norilsk peaks around July 15 at about 4 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 0 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJul 15UV 4Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb0Low
Mar1Low
Apr2Moderate
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep1Low
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Norilsk?

Norilsk sits at 69.4°N, 88.2°E, 76 m above sea level, in Russia. The nearest listed city is Talnakh, 17 km away.

Novyy UrengoyTarko-SaleGubkinskiyNadymMuravlenko

Topography around Norilsk

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Norilsk has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 86 m around an average of 64 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 657 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,136 m.

The land around Norilsk is covered by water (35%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 3 km, moss and lichen (30%) within 16 km, and grassland (40%) and moss and lichen (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
86 m
16 km
657 m
80 km
1,136 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmoss and lichen
May weather nearby: Talnakh 17 km · Kayyerkan 18 km · Dudinka 80 km · Novyy Urengoy 607 km · Tarko-Sale 666 km · Gubkinskiy 746 km · Nadym 789 km · Muravlenko 862 km

Russia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 32% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$17,547
2025
Happiness
5.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
76%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
6.8
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
12
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 521
Religion
other Christian 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 Norilsk (69.3535°, 88.2027°, elevation 76 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).