Ann Arbor weather in May

In May, Ann Arbor sees average daytime highs of 68°F and overnight lows near 49°F, with 3.9 in of rain across 12.5 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 64°F in the first days to 73°F 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 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Ann Arbor's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ann Arbor's year-round climate.

Daytime high
68°
5th warmest
Overnight low
49°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.9 in
12.5 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
5:19 AM – 7:43 PM
Cloud cover
66%
6th clearest
Wind
8 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.76 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Ann Arbor is county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States.

Density
1,561/km²
people per km²
Founded
1824

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 64°F in the first days to 73°F by the end.

A typical May day in Ann Arbor reaches about 68°F in the afternoon and slips back to 49°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 56°F and 81°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 11°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16344
26345
36445
46445
56446
66546
76546
86547
96647
106647
116648
126748
136748
146748
156849
166849
176849
186950
196950
206950
217051
227051
237152
247152
257152
267253
277253
287353
297354
307354
317355

How May really feels in Ann Arbor

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Ann Arbor weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 19°2.49.76.19.30.0
Feb34° / 20°2.18.25.610.30.0
Mar45° / 28°2.59.73.611.61.0
Apr57° / 39°3.611.81.313.13.9
May68° / 49°3.912.5014.45.9
Jun78° / 59°3.710.50156.6
Jul82° / 63°3.310.8014.86.3
Aug80° / 61°3.310.3013.76.6
Sep73° / 54°2.78.6012.36.9
Oct60° / 43°2.79.30.210.84.9
Nov47° / 33°2.691.99.61.5
Dec36° / 25°2.394.690.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13664
23763
33664
43664
53664
63763
73664
83664
93763
103862
113862
123862
133862
143961
153961
163961
173862
183961
193961
203961
213961
224060
233961
243961
254060
264159
274159
284258
294258
304357
314456

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Ann Arbor gets around 3.9 in of rain over 12.5 wet days in May, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 39% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
239
339
439
539
639
739
839
939
1039
1139
1239
1339
1439
1540
1640
1740
1840
1940
2040
2140
2240
2340
2440
2540
2640
2739
2839
2939
3039
3138

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 77% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
192620
291720
390730
490730
587841
687841
786851
885951
984961
10831061
11831061
12811171
13811171
14801271
15791281
16781282
17771382
18761392
19751393
207413103
217214104
227114114
237014115
246715126
256715126
266615127
276416137
286416137
296317137
306018148
316018148

Wind in May

Winds average 8 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
257light breeze
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 60 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:38 AM to 5:07 AM, and sunset from 7:27 PM to 7:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:387:27
213.95:367:28
313.95:357:29
413.95:347:30
514.05:327:31
614.05:317:32
714.15:307:33
814.15:287:34
914.15:277:35
1014.25:267:37
1114.25:257:38
1214.35:247:39
1314.35:237:40
1414.35:227:41
1514.45:207:42
1614.45:197:43
1714.45:187:44
1814.55:177:45
1914.55:167:46
2014.55:167:47
2114.65:157:48
2214.65:147:49
2314.65:137:50
2414.65:127:51
2514.75:117:52
2614.75:117:53
2714.75:107:54
2814.85:097:55
2914.85:097:56
3014.85:087:56
3114.85:077:57

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.76 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.45 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.76 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.9Bright
246.0Bright
256.0Bright
266.0Bright
276.0Intense
286.0Intense
296.0Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Ann Arbor?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
3.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Ann Arbor for sightseeing.

What to pack for Ann Arbor in May

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

In May, Ann Arbor sees daytime highs around 68°F and nights near 49°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Ann Arbor in May

The nearest coast averages about 56°F 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 34 mi away) is warmest in August at about 75°F and coldest in February near 33°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 20 to Sep 20 — about 3.1 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan34Bracing
Feb33Bracing
Mar36Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May56Bracing
Jun67Cool
Jul75Refreshing
Aug75Warm
Sep70Refreshing
Oct58Bracing
Nov46Bracing
Dec38Bracing

UV index in Ann Arbor in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ann Arbor peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 20UV 9Dec 20UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Ann Arbor 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 Ann Arbor is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1116 µg/m³Oct 238 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov9Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor sits at 42.3°N, 83.7°W, 883 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ypsilanti, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Ann Arbor

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Ann Arbor.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Ann Arbor has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 295 ft around an average of 883 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 436 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 945 ft.

The land around Ann Arbor is covered by trees (60%) and artificial surfaces (30%) within 2 miles, trees (49%) and grassland (24%) within 10 miles, and trees (40%) and cropland (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
295 ft
10 miles
436 ft
50 miles
945 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Ypsilanti 6.8 mi · Canton 14 mi · Westland 17 mi · Romulus 18 mi · Wayne 18 mi · Novi 19 mi · Livonia 21 mi · Garden City 21 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 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 Ann Arbor (42.2776°, -83.7409°, elevation 883 ft), 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. 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).