Davis weather in May

In May, Davis sees average daytime highs of 81°F and overnight lows near 56°F, with 0.8 in of rain across 3.4 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 79°F in the first days to 84°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Davis's 6th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Davis's year-round climate.

Daytime high
81°
5th warmest
Overnight low
56°
8th coldest
Rainfall
0.8 in
3.4 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
5:01 AM – 7:06 PM
Cloud cover
37%
6th clearest
Wind
6 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.6
out of 10

Davis is city in Yolo County, California, United States.

Density
2,633/km²
people per km²
Founded
1868

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 79°F in the first days to 84°F by the end.

A typical May day in Davis reaches about 81°F in the afternoon and slips back to 56°F overnight — a 26°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 69°F and 93°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 7°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°100°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17854
27954
37954
47954
57954
67954
78055
88055
98055
108055
118055
128055
138055
148155
158155
168155
178156
188156
198256
208256
218256
228256
238256
248356
258357
268357
278357
288457
298457
308458
318558

How May really feels in Davis

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.

Davis 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 (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan58° / 42°4.49.39.64.4
Feb62° / 44°4.08.910.55.4
Mar67° / 47°3.28.611.76.5
Apr73° / 51°1.45137.7
May81° / 56°0.83.414.17.6
Jun89° / 60°0.2114.65.6
Jul92° / 61°0.00.114.44.7
Aug91° / 61°0.00.113.54.9
Sep88° / 59°0.10.412.36.1
Oct79° / 54°1.03.1118.2
Nov66° / 46°2.16.29.96.7
Dec58° / 42°4.099.44.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 29%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26733
36832
46832
56931
66931
76931
86931
96931
106931
116931
126931
136931
147030
157030
167030
177129
187129
197129
207228
217327
227327
237426
247426
257525
267624
277624
287624
297723
307723
317723

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Davis gets around 0.8 in of rain over 3.4 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 10% and peaks near 12% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
112
212
312
412
511
611
711
811
911
1011
1111
1211
1311
1411
1511
1611
1711
1811
1911
2011
2111
2211
2310
2410
259
269
279
288
298
308
317

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 (%)
1964
2964
3964
4964
5964
6964
7964
8964
9964
10964
11964
12964
13964
14964
15964
16964
17964
18955
19955
20955
21955
22946
23946
24946
25937
26937
27928
28928
29928
30919
31919

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 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:17 AM to 4:50 AM, and sunset from 6:52 PM to 7:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.65:176:52
213.65:156:53
313.75:146:54
413.75:136:55
513.75:126:56
613.85:116:57
713.85:106:57
813.85:086:58
913.95:076:59
1013.95:067:00
1113.95:057:01
1214.05:047:02
1314.05:037:03
1414.05:027:04
1514.15:017:05
1614.15:017:06
1714.15:007:07
1814.14:597:08
1914.24:587:09
2014.24:577:09
2114.24:567:10
2214.34:567:11
2314.34:557:12
2414.34:547:13
2514.34:547:14
2614.44:537:14
2714.44:527:15
2814.44:527:16
2914.44:517:17
3014.44:517:18
3114.54:507:18

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.32 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.07 kWh/m² to a high of 8.18 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 7.32 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.9Intense
26.9Intense
37.0Intense
47.0Intense
57.0Intense
67.1Intense
77.1Intense
87.1Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.2Intense
127.2Intense
137.3Intense
147.3Intense
157.3Intense
167.3Intense
177.3Intense
187.4Intense
197.4Intense
207.4Intense
217.5Intense
227.5Intense
237.5Intense
247.5Intense
257.6Intense
267.6Intense
277.6Intense
287.7Intense
297.7Intense
307.7Intense
317.8Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Davis

In seasonPeak

None of Davis's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Davis's rainy season runs November–March, 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 Davis?

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

7.6
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
8.1
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Davis for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Davis in May

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

In May, Davis sees daytime highs around 81°F and nights near 56°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 3 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Davis 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 Davis peaks around June 21 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 21UV 10Dec 15UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep6High
Oct5Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Davis 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 Davis is worst in August — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.6× the cleanest month (June, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateAug 2126 µg/m³Jun 138 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr12Good
May9Good
Jun8Good
Jul11Good
Aug27Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct17Moderate
Nov19Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Davis?

Davis sits at 38.5°N, 121.7°W, 52 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Dixon, 8.1 mi away.

Topography around Davis

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Davis has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 56 ft around an average of 49 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 184 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,265 ft.

The land around Davis is covered by artificial surfaces (40%), trees (26%) and cropland (24%) within 2 miles, cropland (52%) and grassland (22%) within 10 miles, and grassland (35%), trees (26%) and cropland (24%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
56 ft
10 miles
184 ft
50 miles
4,265 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Dixon 8.1 mi · Woodland 9.3 mi · West Sacramento 12 mi · Sacramento 14 mi · Florin 18 mi · Vacaville 19 mi · Rio Linda 19 mi · Laguna 19 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 Davis (38.5449°, -121.7405°, elevation 52 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).