Skellefteå weather in May

In May, Skellefteå sees average daytime highs of 10°C and overnight lows near 4°C, with 41 mm of precipitation across 8.6 wet days and about 18.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-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 24% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 16 h 24 min at the start of May to 19 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Skellefteå's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Skellefteå's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10°
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Precipitation
41 mm
8.6 wet days
Daylight
18 h 06 min
2:29 AM – 8:36 PM
Cloud cover
64%
1st clearest
Wind
13 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.2
out of 10

Skellefteå is urban area in Skellefteå Municipality, Sweden.

Air quality
Good
PM10 18.5 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 Skellefteå reaches about 10°C in the afternoon and slips back to 4°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 15°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)
171
271
381
481
581
682
782
882
992
1092
1193
1293
1393
1493
15103
16104
17104
18104
19104
20104
21115
22115
23115
24115
25115
26115
27126
28126
29126
30126
31126

How May really feels in Skellefteå

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 14 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
14
wind chill below the day's low

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

Skellefteå weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-4° / -9°419.910.44.60.0
Feb-5° / -10°2978.47.80.0
Mar-1° / -7°327.48.111.20.0
Apr / -2°327.14.814.70.2
May10° / 418.60.718.12.2
Jun14° / 589.6020.64.2
Jul18° / 13°7312019.55.6
Aug17° / 12°6911016.25.3
Sep12° / 589.3012.73.3
Oct / 6310.92.79.20.6
Nov / -2°5511.685.80.0
Dec-2° / -6°5110.810.23.40.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24258
34258
44258
54159
64159
74060
83961
94060
104060
114060
124159
134159
144060
154159
164159
174159
184159
194159
204159
214159
224159
234159
244159
254258
264258
274258
284159
294159
304159
314060

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Skellefteå gets around 41 mm of rain and snow over 8.6 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 28% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1246
2256
3255
4255
5265
6265
7274
8274
9284
10284
11283
12283
13293
14292
15292
16292
17292
18291
19291
20291
21291
22291
23281
24281
25281
26271
27270
28270
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 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812light breeze
912light breeze
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light 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 24 min at the start of May to 19 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 198 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 3:20 AM to 1:43 AM, and sunset from 7:46 PM to 9:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
116.43:207:46
216.53:177:50
316.73:137:53
416.83:107:56
516.93:068:00
617.03:038:03
717.12:598:06
817.22:568:10
917.32:528:13
1017.52:498:16
1117.62:458:20
1217.72:428:23
1317.82:398:26
1417.92:358:30
1518.02:328:33
1618.12:298:36
1718.22:258:40
1818.32:228:43
1918.52:198:46
2018.62:168:49
2118.72:138:53
2218.82:098:56
2318.92:068:59
2419.02:039:02
2519.12:009:05
2619.21:579:09
2719.31:549:12
2819.41:529:15
2919.51:499:18
3019.61:469:21
3119.71:439:24

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.21 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.03 kWh/m² to a high of 5.64 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.21 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.8Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.9Bright
85.0Bright
95.0Bright
105.0Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Skellefteå?

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

2.2
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 Skellefteå.

What to pack for Skellefteå in May

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

In May, Skellefteå sees daytime highs around 10°C and nights near 4°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Skellefteå 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 24 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
Jun8Bracing
Jul14Bracing
Aug15Bracing
Sep12Bracing
Oct8Bracing
Nov5Bracing
Dec3Bracing

UV index in Skellefteå 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 Skellefteå 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
Apr2Moderate
May4Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep2Low
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Skellefteå?

Skellefteå sits at 64.8°N, 21.0°E, 34 m above sea level, in Sweden. The nearest listed city is Piteå, 68 km away.

UmeåLuleåBodenKokkolaJakobstadRaaheKorsholm

Topography around Skellefteå

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Skellefteå has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 138 m around an average of 42 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 224 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 515 m.

The land around Skellefteå is covered by trees (58%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, trees (65%) within 16 km, and trees (62%) and water (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
138 m
16 km
224 m
80 km
515 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Piteå 68 km · Umeå 108 km · Luleå 108 km · Boden 124 km · Kokkola 146 km · Jakobstad 147 km · Raahe 168 km · Korsholm 185 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 Skellefteå (64.7507°, 20.9528°, elevation 34 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).