El Paso weather in May

In May, El Paso sees average daytime highs of 87°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 0.3 in of rain across 1.8 wet days and about 13.6 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 84°F in the first days to 91°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 72% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 12 min at the start of May to 13 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is El Paso's 3rd-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see El Paso's year-round climate.

Daytime high
87°
4th warmest
Overnight low
60°
8th coldest
Rainfall
0.3 in
1.8 wet days
Daylight
13 h 36 min
5:14 AM – 6:51 PM
Cloud cover
26%
3rd clearest
Wind
8 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
8.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

El Paso is city in and county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States.

Density
1,023/km²
people per km²
Founded
1680

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 84°F in the first days to 91°F by the end.

A typical May day in El Paso reaches about 87°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 27°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 79°F and 95°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 9°F warmer than April and about 8°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°100°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18356
28356
38456
48457
58457
68557
78558
88558
98558
108658
118659
128659
138659
148760
158760
168760
178860
188861
198861
208961
218962
228962
238962
249063
259063
269163
279164
289164
299164
309265
319265

How May really feels in El Paso

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 8 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
8
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

El Paso weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 4th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 34°0.530.510.25.0
Feb63° / 39°0.52.60.110.86.8
Mar71° / 45°0.41.9011.88.3
Apr79° / 52°0.21012.88.6
May87° / 60°0.31.8013.65.9
Jun95° / 69°0.42.20143.2
Jul94° / 72°1.25.7013.93.2
Aug92° / 71°1.05.3013.23.9
Sep87° / 64°1.24.1012.25.8
Oct78° / 53°0.73.50.111.28.2
Nov66° / 42°0.52.30.110.47.5
Dec56° / 34°0.73.60.6104.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 72% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18317
28317
38416
48416
58416
68416
78416
88317
98317
108317
118317
128317
138317
148317
158317
168317
178317
188416
198416
208416
218515
228614
238614
248614
258713
268812
278812
288911
298911
309010
319010

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

El Paso gets around 0.3 in of rain over 1.8 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 6% and peaks near 8% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
33
44
54
64
74
85
95
105
116
126
137
147
157
167
177
187
198
208
217
227
237
247
257
267
276
286
296
305
315

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24982
25982
26982
27982
28982
29982
30982
31982

Wind in May

Winds average 8 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 12 min at the start of May to 13 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:26 AM to 5:06 AM, and sunset from 6:40 PM to 7:00 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.25:266:40
213.35:256:41
313.35:246:41
413.35:236:42
513.35:236:43
613.45:226:44
713.45:216:44
813.45:206:45
913.45:196:46
1013.55:186:46
1113.55:176:47
1213.55:176:48
1313.55:166:49
1413.65:156:49
1513.65:146:50
1613.65:146:51
1713.65:136:51
1813.75:126:52
1913.75:126:53
2013.75:116:53
2113.75:116:54
2213.75:106:55
2313.85:106:55
2413.85:096:56
2513.85:096:57
2613.85:086:57
2713.85:086:58
2813.95:076:59
2913.95:076:59
3013.95:077:00
3113.95:067:00

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 8.21 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.45 kWh/m² to a high of 8.26 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 8.21 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
18.0Intense
28.0Intense
38.1Intense
48.1Intense
58.1Intense
68.1Intense
78.1Intense
88.1Intense
98.1Intense
108.1Intense
118.2Intense
128.2Intense
138.2Intense
148.2Intense
158.2Intense
168.2Intense
178.2Intense
188.2Intense
198.2Intense
208.2Intense
218.2Intense
228.3Intense
238.3Intense
248.3Intense
258.3Intense
268.3Intense
278.3Intense
288.3Intense
298.3Intense
308.3Intense
318.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit El Paso?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
8.4
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit El Paso for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for El Paso in May

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

In May, El Paso sees daytime highs around 87°F and nights near 60°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in El Paso in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in El Paso peaks around June 22 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 12Dec 19UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb6High
Mar8Very high
Apr11Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep10Very high
Oct7High
Nov5High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in El Paso 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 El Paso is worst in December — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateDec 1716 µg/m³Aug 1211 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May12Moderate
Jun13Moderate
Jul12Good
Aug11Good
Sep13Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec16Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is El Paso?

El Paso sits at 31.8°N, 106.5°W, 3,717 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ciudad Juárez, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around El Paso

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around El Paso has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 863 ft around an average of 3,783 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,458 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,141 ft.

The land around El Paso is covered by artificial surfaces (84%) within 2 miles, artificial surfaces (44%), shrubs (30%) and bare terrain (21%) within 10 miles, and shrubs (41%) and bare terrain (41%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
863 ft
10 miles
3,458 ft
50 miles
5,141 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
May weather nearby: Ciudad Juárez 3.1 mi · Sunland Park 6.2 mi · Socorro 13 mi · Socorro Mission Number 1 Colonia 14 mi · Horizon City 17 mi · Las Cruces 42 mi · Alamogordo 85 mi · Nuevo Casas Grandes 126 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 El Paso (31.7587°, -106.4869°, elevation 3,717 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).