Detroit weather in May

In May, Detroit sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 52°F, with 3.5 in of rain across 12.8 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 62°F in the first days to 72°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 Detroit's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Detroit's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
5th warmest
Overnight low
52°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.5 in
12.8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
5:16 AM – 7:40 PM
Cloud cover
64%
6th clearest
Wind
10 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.7
out of 10

Detroit is city in and county seat of Wayne County, and largest city in State of Michigan, United States.

Density
1,745/km²
people per km²
Founded
1701

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 62°F in the first days to 72°F by the end.

A typical May day in Detroit reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 52°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 56°F and 79°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 12°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16247
26247
36248
46348
56349
66449
76449
86450
96550
106550
116551
126651
136651
146651
156752
166752
176752
186853
196853
206953
216954
226954
237055
247055
257155
267156
277156
287257
297257
307357
317358

How May really feels in Detroit

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.

Detroit weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 20°2.510.25.99.30.0
Feb33° / 21°2.18.35.410.30.0
Mar43° / 29°2.69.63.811.60.6
Apr55° / 41°3.612113.13.4
May67° / 52°3.512.8014.45.7
Jun77° / 63°3.410.90156.6
Jul81° / 67°3.110.7014.86.4
Aug79° / 65°3.09.6013.76.8
Sep72° / 58°2.78.3012.37.0
Oct60° / 46°2.78.9010.84.8
Nov47° / 36°2.791.59.61.5
Dec36° / 27°2.59.14.190.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 60%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23862
33862
43862
53961
63961
73961
84060
93961
104060
114060
124060
134060
144060
154060
163961
173961
183961
193961
203961
213961
224060
234159
244159
254258
264258
274258
284258
294258
304357
314456

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Detroit gets around 3.5 in of rain over 12.8 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 41% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
140
240
340
440
541
641
742
842
942
1043
1143
1243
1343
1443
1543
1643
1742
1842
1941
2041
2140
2240
2340
2440
2539
2639
2739
2839
2939
3039
3139

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 73% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1908200
2908200
3879310
4879310
58610310
68510410
78510410
88211520
98211520
108211520
118111620
127912630
137812730
147713730
157713730
167513840
177414840
187314940
197115950
2070151050
2167161061
2266161161
2364171171
2463171271
2560181381
2660181381
2758191481
2856191591
2956191591
3054201691
31532016101

Wind in May

Winds average 10 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

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 5:35 AM to 5:05 AM, and sunset from 7:24 PM to 7:55 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:357:24
213.95:337:25
313.95:327:26
413.95:317:27
514.05:297:28
614.05:287:30
714.15:277:31
814.15:267:32
914.15:247:33
1014.25:237:34
1114.25:227:35
1214.35:217:36
1314.35:207:37
1414.35:197:38
1514.45:187:39
1614.45:167:40
1714.45:157:41
1814.55:147:42
1914.55:147:43
2014.55:137:44
2114.65:127:45
2214.65:117:46
2314.65:107:47
2414.75:097:48
2514.75:087:49
2614.75:087:50
2714.75:077:51
2814.85:067:52
2914.85:067:53
3014.85:057:54
3114.85:057:55

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.48 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.91 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Intense
216.0Intense
226.0Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Detroit?

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
2.8
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Detroit for sightseeing.

What to pack for Detroit in May

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

In May, Detroit sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 52°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Detroit in May

The nearest coast averages about 52°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 9 mi away) is warmest in August at about 73°F and coldest in February near 33°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 2 to Sep 15 — about 2.5 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan34Bracing
Feb33Bracing
Mar34Bracing
Apr41Bracing
May52Bracing
Jun64Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug73Refreshing
Sep68Refreshing
Oct57Bracing
Nov47Bracing
Dec39Bracing

UV index in Detroit 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 Detroit 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
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Detroit 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 Detroit is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1216 µg/m³Oct 239 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Detroit?

Detroit sits at 42.3°N, 83.0°W, 600 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Windsor, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Detroit

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Detroit has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 187 ft around an average of 604 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 915 ft.

The land around Detroit is covered by artificial surfaces (64%) within 2 miles, artificial surfaces (44%) and trees (24%) within 10 miles, and trees (28%), water (27%) and cropland (26%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
187 ft
10 miles
200 ft
50 miles
915 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Windsor 2.5 mi · Hamtramck 4.3 mi · LaSalle 6.2 mi · Dearborn 6.8 mi · Tecumseh 8.1 mi · Lincoln Park 8.7 mi · Hazel Park 9.3 mi · Wyandotte 9.9 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 Detroit (42.3314°, -83.0457°, elevation 600 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).