Piteå weather in May

In May, Piteå sees average daytime highs of 9°C and overnight lows near 3°C, with 40 mm of precipitation across 8.1 wet days and about 18.3 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 12°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 16 h 36 min at the start of May to 20 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Piteå's 1st-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Piteå's year-round climate.

Daytime high
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
40 mm
8.1 wet days
Daylight
18 h 18 min
2:20 AM – 8:40 PM
Cloud cover
64%
1st clearest
Wind
13 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
5.26 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.1
out of 10

Piteå is locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden.

Air quality
Good
PM10 21.6 µg/m³ · 2019

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 12°C by the end.

A typical May day in Piteå reaches about 9°C in the afternoon and slips back to 3°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 5°C and 14°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 5°C cooler than June.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
170
270
371
471
571
681
781
882
982
1082
1192
1292
1393
1493
1593
1693
17103
18104
19104
20104
21104
22114
23115
24115
25115
26115
27115
28126
29126
30126
31126

How May really feels in Piteå

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 16 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
16
wind chill below the day's low

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

Piteå 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-5° / -10°429.210.44.30.0
Feb-5° / -10°297.287.70.0
Mar-1° / -7°327.3811.10.0
Apr / -3°327514.70.1
May / 408.10.818.32.1
Jun14° / 589.60214.2
Jul18° / 13°7111.4019.85.7
Aug17° / 12°6610.7016.35.3
Sep12° / 569.1012.73.3
Oct / 579.62.79.10.6
Nov / -3°5210.57.85.60.0
Dec-2° / -7°5010.5102.90.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24456
34357
44357
54258
64258
74159
84159
94060
104060
114060
124060
134060
144159
154159
164159
174159
184159
194258
204258
214258
224357
234258
244357
254357
264258
274258
284258
294258
304258
314060

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Piteå gets around 40 mm of rain and snow over 8.1 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 26% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1248
2247
3247
4246
5246
6255
7255
8254
9254
10254
11263
12263
13262
14262
15272
16271
17271
18271
19271
20271
21271
22271
23271
24271
25271
26271
27271
28271
29270
30270
31270

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 13 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 13 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
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 16 h 36 min at the start of May to 20 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 204 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 3:14 AM to 1:31 AM, and sunset from 7:48 PM to 9:31 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
116.63:147:48
216.73:117:52
316.83:077:55
416.93:037:59
517.03:008:02
617.22:568:06
717.32:528:09
817.42:498:12
917.52:458:16
1017.62:418:19
1117.82:388:23
1217.92:348:26
1318.02:318:30
1418.12:278:33
1518.22:248:37
1618.32:208:40
1718.52:178:44
1818.62:138:47
1918.72:108:51
2018.82:078:54
2118.92:038:58
2219.02:009:01
2319.11:579:05
2419.21:539:08
2519.41:509:12
2619.51:479:15
2719.61:449:18
2819.71:419:22
2919.81:379:25
3019.91:349:28
3120.01:319:31

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.26 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.02 kWh/m² to a high of 5.7 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.26 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
95.0Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Piteå?

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

2.1
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 Piteå.

What to pack for Piteå in May

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

In May, Piteå sees daytime highs around 9°C and nights near 3°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Piteå in May

The nearest coast averages about 3°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 19 km away) is warmest in August at about 15°C and coldest in February near 0°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

0°5°10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan1Bracing
Feb0Bracing
Mar0Bracing
Apr1Bracing
May3Bracing
Jun9Bracing
Jul14Bracing
Aug15Cool
Sep12Bracing
Oct8Bracing
Nov4Bracing
Dec2Bracing

UV index in Piteå 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 Piteå peaks around July 15 at about 5 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 4 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJul 15UV 5Dec 17UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb0Low
Mar1Low
Apr3Moderate
May4Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep2Low
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Piteå?

Piteå sits at 65.3°N, 21.5°E, 6 m above sea level, in Sweden. The nearest listed city is Luleå, 43 km away.

TornioKemiRaaheUmeåHaukipudas

Topography around Piteå

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Piteå has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 51 m around an average of 11 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 213 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 589 m.

The land around Piteå is covered by trees (42%) and water (26%) within 3 km, trees (52%) and water (30%) within 16 km, and trees (59%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
51 m
16 km
213 m
80 km
589 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Luleå 43 km · Boden 57 km · Skellefteå 68 km · Tornio 136 km · Kemi 150 km · Raahe 158 km · Umeå 175 km · Haukipudas 181 km

Sweden travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 87% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$63,133
2025
Happiness
7.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 609
Religion
Church of Sweden 54%none or unspecified 37%other 9%

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 Piteå (65.3172°, 21.4794°, elevation 6 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).