Atascadero weather in May

In May, Atascadero sees average daytime highs of 71°F and overnight lows near 51°F, with 0.4 in of rain across 1.7 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 71°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Atascadero's 6th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Atascadero's year-round climate.

Daytime high
71°
6th warmest
Overnight low
51°
7th coldest
Rainfall
0.4 in
1.7 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
5:03 AM – 6:55 PM
Cloud cover
28%
6th clearest
Wind
6 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.73 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

Atascadero is city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States.

Density
441/km²
people per km²
Founded
1979

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 71°F through the month.

A typical May day in Atascadero reaches about 71°F in the afternoon and slips back to 51°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 62°F and 81°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 5°F warmer than April and about 5°F cooler than June.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17050
27050
37050
47050
57050
67051
77151
87151
97151
107151
117151
127151
137151
147151
157151
167151
177152
187152
197152
207152
217152
227152
237152
247252
257252
267253
277253
287253
297353
307353
317353

Atascadero weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan59° / 43°3.37.19.95.0
Feb60° / 44°3.37.710.75.2
Mar63° / 46°2.56.411.76.3
Apr67° / 48°0.93.512.97.5
May71° / 51°0.41.713.88.5
Jun76° / 55°0.10.414.49.4
Jul79° / 59°0.00.114.29.2
Aug80° / 59°0.00.213.39.1
Sep78° / 57°0.10.412.29.2
Oct73° / 53°0.7211.18.8
Nov65° / 47°1.13.610.17.1
Dec59° / 42°2.56.29.65.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 18%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17822
27822
37822
47822
57822
67921
77822
87921
97921
107921
118020
128020
138119
148218
158218
168317
178317
188317
198416
208416
218416
228416
238614
248614
258614
268614
278713
288614
298614
308614
318713

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Atascadero gets around 0.4 in of rain over 1.7 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 6% and peaks near 7% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
17
27
37
47
57
67
77
87
97
107
117
127
137
147
157
166
176
186
196
206
215
225
235
244
254
263
273
283
293
303
312

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4982
5973
6973
7973
8973
9964
10964
11964
12964
13955
14955
15955
16955
17955
18955
19955
20955
21955
22955
23946
24946
25946
26946
27937
28937
29937
30937
31928

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:17 AM to 4:54 AM, and sunset from 6:42 PM to 7:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:176:42
213.45:166:43
313.55:156:44
413.55:146:45
513.55:136:46
613.65:126:47
713.65:116:47
813.65:106:48
913.75:096:49
1013.75:086:50
1113.75:076:51
1213.85:066:52
1313.85:056:52
1413.85:056:53
1513.85:046:54
1613.95:036:55
1713.95:026:56
1813.95:016:56
1913.95:016:57
2014.05:006:58
2114.04:596:59
2214.04:597:00
2314.04:587:00
2414.14:587:01
2514.14:577:02
2614.14:567:03
2714.14:567:03
2814.14:557:04
2914.24:557:05
3014.24:557:05
3114.24:547:06

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.73 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.72 kWh/m² to a high of 8.26 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.73 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.4Intense
27.4Intense
37.4Intense
47.5Intense
57.5Intense
67.5Intense
77.5Intense
87.6Intense
97.6Intense
107.6Intense
117.7Intense
127.7Intense
137.7Intense
147.7Intense
157.7Intense
167.8Intense
177.8Intense
187.8Intense
197.8Intense
207.8Intense
217.8Intense
227.8Intense
237.9Intense
247.9Intense
257.9Intense
267.9Intense
277.9Intense
288.0Intense
298.0Intense
308.0Intense
318.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Atascadero?

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

8.5
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
5.7
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Atascadero for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Atascadero in May

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

In May, Atascadero sees daytime highs around 71°F and nights near 51°F. Pack sun protection.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Atascadero in May

The nearest coast averages about 54°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 14 mi away) is warmest in September at about 60°F and coldest in April near 54°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

52°54°56°58°60°62°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan56Bracing
Feb56Bracing
Mar55Bracing
Apr54Bracing
May54Bracing
Jun56Bracing
Jul58Bracing
Aug59Cool
Sep60Cool
Oct60Cool
Nov58Bracing
Dec57Bracing

UV index in Atascadero in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Atascadero peaks around June 21 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 21UV 11Dec 14UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep7Very high
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Atascadero 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 Atascadero is worst in August — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.5× the cleanest month (June, 4 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 2218 µg/m³Jun 124 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb6Good
Mar7Good
Apr6Good
May5Good
Jun4Good
Jul7Good
Aug19Moderate
Sep17Moderate
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Atascadero?

Atascadero sits at 35.5°N, 120.7°W, 879 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Paso Robles, 9.3 mi away.

Topography around Atascadero

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Atascadero has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 600 ft around an average of 948 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,549 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,698 ft.

The land around Atascadero is covered by trees (39%), grassland (35%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 2 miles, grassland (56%) and trees (33%) within 10 miles, and grassland (54%) and water (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
600 ft
10 miles
2,549 ft
50 miles
4,698 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Paso Robles 9.3 mi · San Luis Obispo 14 mi · Arroyo Grande 26 mi · Nipomo 33 mi · Santa Maria 39 mi · Orcutt 45 mi · Coalinga 48 mi · Lompoc 60 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 Atascadero (35.4894°, -120.6707°, elevation 879 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).