Bend weather in May

In May, Bend sees average daytime highs of 64°F and overnight lows near 40°F, with 1.8 in of precipitation across 9.7 wet days and about 14.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 60°F in the first days to 67°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 15 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Bend's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bend's year-round climate.

Daytime high
64°
5th warmest
Overnight low
40°
8th coldest
Precipitation
1.8 in
9.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 36 min
4:45 AM – 7:18 PM
Cloud cover
60%
6th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.7
out of 10

Bend is city in and county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States.

Density
1,010/km²
people per km²
Founded
1905

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 60°F in the first days to 67°F by the end.

A typical May day in Bend reaches about 64°F in the afternoon and slips back to 40°F overnight — a 24°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 50°F and 79°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 9°F warmer than April and about 8°F cooler than June.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16036
26036
36037
46137
56137
66137
76238
86238
96238
106238
116339
126339
136339
146340
156440
166440
176440
186440
196441
206541
216541
226541
236542
246642
256642
266642
276742
286743
296743
306743
316843

How May really feels in Bend

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 4 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
4
wind chill below the day's low

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

Bend weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan39° / 26°2.812.28.89.10.0
Feb42° / 27°2.210.98.210.20.3
Mar48° / 30°2.212.17.711.61.7
Apr55° / 33°1.811.54.313.23.3
May64° / 40°1.89.7114.55.7
Jun72° / 45°1.06.70.115.27.4
Jul82° / 52°0.63.70157.3
Aug82° / 51°0.53.9013.87.6
Sep73° / 45°0.63.40.112.38.2
Oct60° / 37°1.46.8110.85.3
Nov46° / 30°2.711.66.29.41.2
Dec38° / 26°3.81310.78.80.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24753
34753
44753
54753
64753
74753
84753
94555
104555
114456
124357
134357
144357
154159
164159
174159
184159
194159
204159
214159
224258
234357
244555
254555
264555
274555
284753
294852
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Bend gets around 1.8 in of rain and snow over 9.7 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 31% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1297
2296
3286
4286
5285
6285
7295
8295
9304
10314
11314
12324
13334
14334
15334
16344
17343
18343
19343
20353
21343
22343
23332
24332
25322
26312
27312
28301
29301
30301
31291

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 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 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
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 15 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 66 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:04 AM to 4:32 AM, and sunset from 7:00 PM to 7:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.95:047:00
214.05:037:02
314.05:027:03
414.15:007:04
514.14:597:05
614.24:577:06
714.24:567:08
814.24:557:09
914.34:537:10
1014.34:527:11
1114.44:517:12
1214.44:507:14
1314.44:487:15
1414.54:477:16
1514.54:467:17
1614.64:457:18
1714.64:447:19
1814.64:437:20
1914.74:427:21
2014.74:417:22
2114.74:407:24
2214.84:397:25
2314.84:387:26
2414.84:377:27
2514.94:367:28
2614.94:357:29
2714.94:357:30
2814.94:347:31
2915.04:337:31
3015.04:337:32
3115.04:327:33

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.65 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.55 kWh/m² to a high of 7.85 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.65 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.5Intense
46.5Intense
56.5Intense
66.5Intense
76.5Intense
86.5Intense
96.5Intense
106.5Intense
116.6Intense
126.6Intense
136.6Intense
146.6Intense
156.6Intense
166.6Intense
176.6Intense
186.6Intense
196.7Intense
206.7Intense
216.7Intense
226.7Intense
236.8Intense
246.8Intense
256.8Intense
266.8Intense
276.9Intense
286.9Intense
296.9Intense
307.0Intense
317.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Bend

In seasonPeak

In May, Bend sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Bend's rainy season runs November–May, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Bend?

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

5.7
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Bend for sightseeing.

What to pack for Bend in May

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

In May, Bend sees daytime highs around 64°F and nights near 40°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

sun protectiona warm layerrain gear

UV index in Bend in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bend peaks around July 15 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 15UV 9Dec 15UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Bend 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 Bend is worst in September — around 81 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 23.9× the cleanest month (January, 3 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodUnhealthyGoodSep 1475 µg/m³Jan 174 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan3Good
Feb5Good
Mar6Good
Apr11Good
May9Good
Jun8Good
Jul8Good
Aug46Poor
Sep81Unhealthy
Oct12Good
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bend?

Bend sits at 44.1°N, 121.3°W, 3,629 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Redmond, 16 mi away.

Topography around Bend

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bend has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 722 ft around an average of 3,717 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,628 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9,180 ft.

The land around Bend is covered by artificial surfaces (47%) and trees (40%) within 2 miles, grassland (48%) and trees (43%) within 10 miles, and trees (57%) and grassland (38%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
722 ft
10 miles
2,628 ft
50 miles
9,180 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Redmond 16 mi · Springfield 85 mi · Lebanon 85 mi · Eugene 88 mi · Albany 97 mi · Four Corners 102 mi · Corvallis 103 mi · Hayesville 104 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 Bend (44.0582°, -121.3153°, elevation 3,629 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. 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).