Longyearbyen weather in May
In May, Longyearbyen sees average daytime highs of -3°C and overnight lows near -5°C, with 21 mm of precipitation across 6 wet days and about 24 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about -5°C in the first days to -0°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.
Daylight stretches from about 24 hours at the start of May to 24 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Longyearbyen's 3rd-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Longyearbyen's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- -3°
- 5th warmest
- Overnight low
- -5°
- 8th coldest
- Precipitation
- 21 mm
- 6 wet days
- Daylight
- 24 hours
- — – —
- Cloud cover
- 80%
- 3rd clearest
- Wind
- 9 km/h
- 10th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.45 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 0.0
- out of 10
Longyearbyen is town and administrative centre in Svalbard, Norway.
- Density
- 10/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1906
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Highs climb over the month, from about -5°C in the first days to -0°C by the end.
A typical May day in Longyearbyen reaches about -3°C in the afternoon and slips back to -5°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -7°C and 1°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | -6 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -3 | -3 | -3 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avg low (°C) | -9 | -9 | -9 | -8 | -8 | -8 | -8 | -7 | -7 | -7 | -7 | -6 | -6 | -6 | -6 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -3 | -3 | -3 | -3 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -6 | -9 |
| 2 | -5 | -9 |
| 3 | -5 | -9 |
| 4 | -5 | -8 |
| 5 | -5 | -8 |
| 6 | -5 | -8 |
| 7 | -4 | -8 |
| 8 | -4 | -7 |
| 9 | -4 | -7 |
| 10 | -4 | -7 |
| 11 | -4 | -7 |
| 12 | -3 | -6 |
| 13 | -3 | -6 |
| 14 | -3 | -6 |
| 15 | -3 | -6 |
| 16 | -3 | -5 |
| 17 | -2 | -5 |
| 18 | -2 | -5 |
| 19 | -2 | -5 |
| 20 | -2 | -4 |
| 21 | -2 | -4 |
| 22 | -2 | -4 |
| 23 | -1 | -4 |
| 24 | -1 | -3 |
| 25 | -1 | -3 |
| 26 | -1 | -3 |
| 27 | -1 | -3 |
| 28 | 0 | -2 |
| 29 | 0 | -2 |
| 30 | 0 | -2 |
| 31 | 0 | -2 |
How May really feels in Longyearbyen
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.
The story in May is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Longyearbyen weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -11° / -16° | 43 | 8.9 | 10.9 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Feb | -12° / -16° | 31 | 7.1 | 9 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Mar | -12° / -17° | 35 | 8.4 | 10.2 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Apr | -9° / -13° | 23 | 6.8 | 8.7 | 19.3 | 0.0 |
| May | -3° / -5° | 21 | 6 | 7.7 | 24 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 2° / 1° | 18 | 5 | 3.7 | 24 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 7° / 4° | 32 | 8.2 | 1.1 | 24 | 0.7 |
| Aug | 5° / 3° | 40 | 9 | 2.2 | 22.8 | 0.3 |
| Sep | 1° / -1° | 45 | 9.8 | 5.3 | 13.7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | -4° / -8° | 41 | 9.1 | 9 | 4.4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | -7° / -12° | 47 | 10.3 | 12.2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Dec | -10° / -14° | 45 | 9.7 | 11.9 | 0 | 0.0 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 82%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
| Cloudier (%) | 77 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 85 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | 77 |
| 2 | 23 | 77 |
| 3 | 22 | 78 |
| 4 | 21 | 79 |
| 5 | 21 | 79 |
| 6 | 21 | 79 |
| 7 | 21 | 79 |
| 8 | 21 | 79 |
| 9 | 20 | 80 |
| 10 | 20 | 80 |
| 11 | 20 | 80 |
| 12 | 20 | 80 |
| 13 | 19 | 81 |
| 14 | 19 | 81 |
| 15 | 19 | 81 |
| 16 | 19 | 81 |
| 17 | 19 | 81 |
| 18 | 17 | 83 |
| 19 | 17 | 83 |
| 20 | 17 | 83 |
| 21 | 17 | 83 |
| 22 | 16 | 84 |
| 23 | 15 | 85 |
| 24 | 15 | 85 |
| 25 | 14 | 86 |
| 26 | 14 | 86 |
| 27 | 14 | 86 |
| 28 | 15 | 85 |
| 29 | 15 | 85 |
| 30 | 14 | 86 |
| 31 | 15 | 85 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Longyearbyen gets around 21 mm of rain and snow over 6 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 19% and peaks near 22% on the wettest days, and about 8 days bring snow.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
| Snow chance (%) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
| Rain chance (%) | Snow chance (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 26 |
| 2 | 22 | 26 |
| 3 | 22 | 27 |
| 4 | 22 | 27 |
| 5 | 22 | 27 |
| 6 | 22 | 27 |
| 7 | 21 | 26 |
| 8 | 21 | 26 |
| 9 | 21 | 26 |
| 10 | 20 | 26 |
| 11 | 20 | 25 |
| 12 | 20 | 25 |
| 13 | 19 | 25 |
| 14 | 19 | 25 |
| 15 | 19 | 25 |
| 16 | 19 | 25 |
| 17 | 19 | 25 |
| 18 | 18 | 24 |
| 19 | 18 | 24 |
| 20 | 18 | 24 |
| 21 | 18 | 24 |
| 22 | 18 | 24 |
| 23 | 18 | 24 |
| 24 | 18 | 24 |
| 25 | 18 | 24 |
| 26 | 18 | 23 |
| 27 | 18 | 23 |
| 28 | 18 | 23 |
| 29 | 18 | 22 |
| 30 | 17 | 22 |
| 31 | 17 | 21 |
Humidity in May
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Dry (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 100 |
| 2 | 100 |
| 3 | 100 |
| 4 | 100 |
| 5 | 100 |
| 6 | 100 |
| 7 | 100 |
| 8 | 100 |
| 9 | 100 |
| 10 | 100 |
| 11 | 100 |
| 12 | 100 |
| 13 | 100 |
| 14 | 100 |
| 15 | 100 |
| 16 | 100 |
| 17 | 100 |
| 18 | 100 |
| 19 | 100 |
| 20 | 100 |
| 21 | 100 |
| 22 | 100 |
| 23 | 100 |
| 24 | 100 |
| 25 | 100 |
| 26 | 100 |
| 27 | 100 |
| 28 | 100 |
| 29 | 100 |
| 30 | 100 |
| 31 | 100 |
Wind in May
Winds average 9 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | calm |
| 2 | 9 | calm |
| 3 | 9 | calm |
| 4 | 9 | calm |
| 5 | 9 | calm |
| 6 | 9 | calm |
| 7 | 9 | calm |
| 8 | 9 | calm |
| 9 | 9 | calm |
| 10 | 9 | calm |
| 11 | 9 | calm |
| 12 | 9 | calm |
| 13 | 9 | calm |
| 14 | 9 | calm |
| 15 | 9 | calm |
| 16 | 9 | calm |
| 17 | 9 | calm |
| 18 | 9 | calm |
| 19 | 9 | calm |
| 20 | 9 | calm |
| 21 | 9 | calm |
| 22 | 9 | calm |
| 23 | 9 | calm |
| 24 | 9 | calm |
| 25 | 9 | calm |
| 26 | 8 | calm |
| 27 | 8 | calm |
| 28 | 8 | calm |
| 29 | 8 | calm |
| 30 | 8 | calm |
| 31 | 8 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 24 hours at the start of May to 24 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sunset (PM) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 2 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 3 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 4 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 5 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 6 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 7 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 8 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 9 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 10 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 11 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 12 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 13 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 14 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 15 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 16 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 17 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 18 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 19 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 20 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 21 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 22 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 23 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 24 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 25 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 26 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 27 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 28 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 29 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 30 | 24.0 | — | — |
| 31 | 24.0 | — | — |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.45 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0 kWh/m² to a high of 5.97 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.45 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 2 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 3 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 4 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 5 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 6 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 7 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 25 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 26 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 27 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 28 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.1 | Intense |
Is May a good time to visit Longyearbyen?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Longyearbyen.
What to pack for Longyearbyen in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Longyearbyen sees daytime highs around -3°C and nights near -5°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: sun protection. About 6 days see rain.
UV index in Longyearbyen in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Longyearbyen peaks around June 18 at about 2 (moderate) — sun protection is rarely needed. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 0 (low).
The midday index never reaches 3, the level where the WHO starts recommending sun protection.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Level | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Moderate | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | Low |
| Feb | 0 | Low |
| Mar | 0 | Low |
| Apr | 1 | Low |
| May | 2 | Low |
| Jun | 2 | Moderate |
| Jul | 2 | Low |
| Aug | 2 | Low |
| Sep | 0 | Low |
| Oct | 0 | Low |
| Nov | 0 | Low |
| Dec | 0 | Low |
Where is Longyearbyen?
Longyearbyen sits at 78.2°N, 15.6°E, 1 m above sea level, in Svalbard and Jan Mayen. The nearest listed city is Alta, 945 km away.
Topography around Longyearbyen
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Longyearbyen.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Longyearbyen has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 485 m around an average of 113 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,061 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,255 m.
The land around Longyearbyen is covered by water (35%), bare terrain (30%) and moss and lichen (27%) within 3 km, bare terrain (31%), water (29%) and moss and lichen (22%) within 16 km, and snow and ice (30%), water (29%) and bare terrain (26%) within 80 km.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Longyearbyen (78.2233°, 15.6469°, elevation 1 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).