Dickinson weather in May

In May, Dickinson sees average daytime highs of 64°F and overnight lows near 43°F, with 2.9 in of precipitation across 10.8 wet days and about 14.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 59°F in the first days to 69°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Dickinson's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dickinson's year-round climate.

Daytime high
64°
5th warmest
Overnight low
43°
8th coldest
Precipitation
2.9 in
10.8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 48 min
4:23 AM – 7:12 PM
Cloud cover
61%
8th clearest
Wind
11 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.06 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.6
out of 10

Dickinson is seat of Stark County, North Dakota, United States.

Density
915/km²
people per km²
Founded
1882

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 59°F in the first days to 69°F by the end.

A typical May day in Dickinson reaches about 64°F in the afternoon and slips back to 43°F overnight — a 21°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 51°F and 78°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 12°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15937
25937
35938
46038
56038
66039
76139
86140
96240
106240
116341
126341
136342
146442
156442
166543
176543
186544
196644
206645
216645
226745
236746
246746
256747
266847
276847
286848
296948
306948
316949

How May really feels in Dickinson

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 6 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
6
wind chill below the day's low

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

Dickinson 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
Jan25° / 0.64.34.58.80.0
Feb28° / 11°0.644.2100.0
Mar40° / 20°1.05.94.411.60.4
Apr52° / 31°2.08.43.413.32.9
May64° / 43°2.910.80.814.85.6
Jun74° / 53°3.211.1015.66.6
Jul81° / 58°2.78.9015.36.9
Aug81° / 56°2.27.50147.2
Sep70° / 46°2.06.20.112.47.2
Oct55° / 34°1.55.91.710.63.9
Nov39° / 21°0.83.73.19.20.2
Dec28° / 12°0.64.14.38.40.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13961
23961
33961
43961
54060
64258
74258
84258
94357
104357
114555
124555
134555
144456
154654
164654
174654
184654
194753
204654
214654
224654
234654
244654
254654
264555
274456
284456
294456
304456
314555

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Dickinson gets around 2.9 in of rain and snow over 10.8 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 35% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1336
2336
3346
4346
5356
6355
7355
8355
9355
10355
11354
12354
13354
14344
15343
16333
17332
18332
19332
20331
21331
22341
23341
24351
25360
26360
27370
28370
29370
30380
31380

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 97% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
110000
210000
310000
49910
59910
69910
79910
89910
99910
109910
119910
129910
139820
149820
159820
169820
179820
189820
199730
209730
219730
229640
239640
249550
259550
269550
279460
289361
299271
309181
319181

Wind in May

Winds average 11 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 mph on the calmest days to 11 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
111light breeze
211light breeze
311light breeze
411light breeze
511light breeze
611light breeze
711light breeze
811light breeze
911light breeze
1011light breeze
1111light breeze
1211light breeze
1311light breeze
1411light breeze
1511light breeze
1611light breeze
1711light breeze
1811light breeze
1911light breeze
2011light breeze
2111light breeze
2211light breeze
2311light breeze
2411light breeze
2511light breeze
2611light breeze
2711light breeze
2811light breeze
2911light breeze
3011light breeze
3111light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 78 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:44 AM to 4:08 AM, and sunset from 6:52 PM to 7:29 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.14:446:52
214.24:436:54
314.24:416:55
414.34:396:57
514.34:386:58
614.44:366:59
714.44:357:01
814.54:337:02
914.54:327:03
1014.64:307:05
1114.64:297:06
1214.74:287:07
1314.74:267:08
1414.74:257:10
1514.84:247:11
1614.84:237:12
1714.94:217:14
1814.94:207:15
1914.94:197:16
2015.04:187:17
2115.04:177:18
2215.14:167:20
2315.14:157:21
2415.14:147:22
2515.24:137:23
2615.24:127:24
2715.24:117:25
2815.34:107:26
2915.34:097:27
3015.34:097:28
3115.44:087:29

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.06 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.45 kWh/m² to a high of 6.85 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.06 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
96.0Bright
106.0Bright
116.0Intense
126.0Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.2Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Dickinson?

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

5.6
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Dickinson for sightseeing.

What to pack for Dickinson in May

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

In May, Dickinson sees daytime highs around 64°F and nights near 43°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

sun protectiona warm layerrain gear

UV index in Dickinson in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dickinson peaks around June 21 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 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 21UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May6High
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7High
Sep5High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Dickinson?

Dickinson sits at 46.9°N, 102.8°W, 2,411 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mandan, 90 mi away.

Topography around Dickinson

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Dickinson has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 243 ft around an average of 2,441 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 479 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,650 ft.

The land around Dickinson is covered by grassland (39%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 2 miles, grassland (54%) and cropland (42%) within 10 miles, and grassland (64%) and cropland (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
243 ft
10 miles
479 ft
50 miles
1,650 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Mandan 90 mi · Bismarck 95 mi · Williston 96 mi · Minot 117 mi · Jamestown 193 mi · Rapid City 194 mi · Gillette 222 mi · Aberdeen 228 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 Dickinson (46.8792°, -102.7896°, elevation 2,411 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).