Elgin weather in May
In May, Elgin sees average daytime highs of 69°F and overnight lows near 50°F, with 4.6 in of rain across 12.5 wet days and about 14.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about 65°F in the first days to 73°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 Elgin's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Elgin's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 69°
- 5th warmest
- Overnight low
- 50°
- 8th coldest
- Rainfall
- 4.6 in
- 12.5 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 h 24 min
- 4:38 AM – 7:01 PM
- Cloud cover
- 64%
- 6th clearest
- Wind
- 8 mph
- 8th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.72 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 6.0
- out of 10
Elgin is city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois.
- Density
- 1,148/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1854
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Highs climb over the month, from about 65°F in the first days to 73°F by the end.
A typical May day in Elgin reaches about 69°F in the afternoon and slips back to 50°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 56°F and 83°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 11°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 64 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 72 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 74 | 74 |
| Avg low (°F) | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 64 | 45 |
| 2 | 64 | 45 |
| 3 | 65 | 46 |
| 4 | 65 | 46 |
| 5 | 65 | 46 |
| 6 | 66 | 47 |
| 7 | 66 | 47 |
| 8 | 66 | 47 |
| 9 | 67 | 48 |
| 10 | 67 | 48 |
| 11 | 67 | 48 |
| 12 | 68 | 49 |
| 13 | 68 | 49 |
| 14 | 69 | 49 |
| 15 | 69 | 49 |
| 16 | 69 | 50 |
| 17 | 69 | 50 |
| 18 | 70 | 50 |
| 19 | 70 | 51 |
| 20 | 71 | 51 |
| 21 | 71 | 51 |
| 22 | 71 | 52 |
| 23 | 71 | 52 |
| 24 | 72 | 53 |
| 25 | 72 | 53 |
| 26 | 73 | 53 |
| 27 | 73 | 54 |
| 28 | 73 | 54 |
| 29 | 73 | 55 |
| 30 | 74 | 55 |
| 31 | 74 | 55 |
How May really feels in Elgin
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.
May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Elgin weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30° / 16° | 2.1 | 7.9 | 5.7 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 34° / 20° | 1.9 | 7 | 4.9 | 10.3 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 46° / 29° | 2.6 | 9.6 | 3.1 | 11.7 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 58° / 39° | 4.5 | 12 | 1 | 13.1 | 4.1 |
| May | 69° / 50° | 4.6 | 12.5 | 0 | 14.3 | 6.0 |
| Jun | 79° / 60° | 4.2 | 12.3 | 0 | 15 | 6.3 |
| Jul | 82° / 65° | 3.7 | 11.2 | 0 | 14.7 | 6.1 |
| Aug | 80° / 62° | 3.7 | 10.6 | 0 | 13.7 | 6.5 |
| Sep | 74° / 55° | 3.1 | 8.4 | 0 | 12.3 | 7.1 |
| Oct | 61° / 43° | 3.1 | 9 | 0.2 | 10.9 | 5.2 |
| Nov | 47° / 32° | 2.4 | 8 | 1.5 | 9.6 | 1.5 |
| Dec | 35° / 22° | 2.2 | 8 | 4.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 |
| Cloudier (%) | 64 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 64 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 59 | 58 | 58 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 57 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 | 64 |
| 2 | 36 | 64 |
| 3 | 35 | 65 |
| 4 | 35 | 65 |
| 5 | 35 | 65 |
| 6 | 35 | 65 |
| 7 | 35 | 65 |
| 8 | 35 | 65 |
| 9 | 36 | 64 |
| 10 | 38 | 62 |
| 11 | 38 | 62 |
| 12 | 38 | 62 |
| 13 | 39 | 61 |
| 14 | 39 | 61 |
| 15 | 39 | 61 |
| 16 | 40 | 60 |
| 17 | 40 | 60 |
| 18 | 40 | 60 |
| 19 | 40 | 60 |
| 20 | 40 | 60 |
| 21 | 41 | 59 |
| 22 | 42 | 58 |
| 23 | 42 | 58 |
| 24 | 41 | 59 |
| 25 | 41 | 59 |
| 26 | 41 | 59 |
| 27 | 41 | 59 |
| 28 | 42 | 58 |
| 29 | 42 | 58 |
| 30 | 43 | 57 |
| 31 | 43 | 57 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Elgin gets around 4.6 in of rain over 12.5 wet days in May, the wettest month. 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 42% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 41 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 42 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 41 |
| 2 | 41 |
| 3 | 41 |
| 4 | 42 |
| 5 | 42 |
| 6 | 42 |
| 7 | 42 |
| 8 | 42 |
| 9 | 41 |
| 10 | 41 |
| 11 | 41 |
| 12 | 41 |
| 13 | 41 |
| 14 | 40 |
| 15 | 40 |
| 16 | 40 |
| 17 | 40 |
| 18 | 40 |
| 19 | 40 |
| 20 | 40 |
| 21 | 40 |
| 22 | 40 |
| 23 | 40 |
| 24 | 40 |
| 25 | 40 |
| 26 | 41 |
| 27 | 41 |
| 28 | 41 |
| 29 | 41 |
| 30 | 41 |
| 31 | 42 |
Humidity in May
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 75% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 92 | 89 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 87 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 76 | 76 | 74 | 74 | 72 | 70 | 70 | 68 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 61 | 60 | 59 | 57 |
| Comfortable (%) | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 |
| Humid (%) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 92 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 89 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 89 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | 88 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | 87 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 6 | 87 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 7 | 85 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| 8 | 84 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 9 | 83 | 11 | 4 | 2 |
| 10 | 82 | 11 | 5 | 2 |
| 11 | 82 | 11 | 5 | 2 |
| 12 | 79 | 12 | 6 | 3 |
| 13 | 79 | 12 | 6 | 3 |
| 14 | 79 | 12 | 6 | 3 |
| 15 | 78 | 12 | 7 | 3 |
| 16 | 76 | 13 | 7 | 4 |
| 17 | 76 | 13 | 7 | 4 |
| 18 | 74 | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| 19 | 74 | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| 20 | 72 | 14 | 9 | 5 |
| 21 | 70 | 14 | 10 | 6 |
| 22 | 70 | 14 | 10 | 6 |
| 23 | 68 | 14 | 11 | 7 |
| 24 | 66 | 15 | 12 | 7 |
| 25 | 65 | 15 | 12 | 8 |
| 26 | 64 | 15 | 13 | 8 |
| 27 | 63 | 16 | 13 | 8 |
| 28 | 61 | 16 | 14 | 9 |
| 29 | 60 | 17 | 14 | 9 |
| 30 | 59 | 17 | 15 | 9 |
| 31 | 57 | 18 | 15 | 10 |
Wind in May
Winds average 8 mph in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (mph) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | light breeze |
| 2 | 8 | light breeze |
| 3 | 8 | light breeze |
| 4 | 8 | light breeze |
| 5 | 8 | light breeze |
| 6 | 8 | light breeze |
| 7 | 8 | light breeze |
| 8 | 8 | light breeze |
| 9 | 8 | light breeze |
| 10 | 8 | light breeze |
| 11 | 8 | light breeze |
| 12 | 8 | light breeze |
| 13 | 8 | light breeze |
| 14 | 8 | light breeze |
| 15 | 8 | light breeze |
| 16 | 8 | light breeze |
| 17 | 8 | light breeze |
| 18 | 8 | light breeze |
| 19 | 8 | light breeze |
| 20 | 8 | light breeze |
| 21 | 8 | light breeze |
| 22 | 8 | light breeze |
| 23 | 8 | light breeze |
| 24 | 8 | light breeze |
| 25 | 8 | light breeze |
| 26 | 8 | light breeze |
| 27 | 7 | light breeze |
| 28 | 7 | calm |
| 29 | 7 | calm |
| 30 | 7 | calm |
| 31 | 7 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
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 4:56 AM to 4:26 AM, and sunset from 6:44 PM to 7:15 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 14.8 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 4:56 | 4:55 | 4:54 | 4:52 | 4:51 | 4:50 | 4:48 | 4:47 | 4:46 | 4:45 | 4:44 | 4:42 | 4:41 | 4:40 | 4:39 | 4:38 | 4:37 | 4:36 | 4:35 | 4:34 | 4:33 | 4:33 | 4:32 | 4:31 | 4:30 | 4:30 | 4:29 | 4:28 | 4:28 | 4:27 | 4:26 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:44 | 6:45 | 6:46 | 6:48 | 6:49 | 6:50 | 6:51 | 6:52 | 6:53 | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 7:00 | 7:01 | 7:02 | 7:03 | 7:04 | 7:05 | 7:06 | 7:07 | 7:08 | 7:08 | 7:09 | 7:10 | 7:11 | 7:12 | 7:13 | 7:14 | 7:15 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.8 | 4:56 | 6:44 |
| 2 | 13.8 | 4:55 | 6:45 |
| 3 | 13.9 | 4:54 | 6:46 |
| 4 | 13.9 | 4:52 | 6:48 |
| 5 | 14.0 | 4:51 | 6:49 |
| 6 | 14.0 | 4:50 | 6:50 |
| 7 | 14.0 | 4:48 | 6:51 |
| 8 | 14.1 | 4:47 | 6:52 |
| 9 | 14.1 | 4:46 | 6:53 |
| 10 | 14.2 | 4:45 | 6:54 |
| 11 | 14.2 | 4:44 | 6:55 |
| 12 | 14.2 | 4:42 | 6:56 |
| 13 | 14.3 | 4:41 | 6:57 |
| 14 | 14.3 | 4:40 | 6:58 |
| 15 | 14.3 | 4:39 | 7:00 |
| 16 | 14.4 | 4:38 | 7:01 |
| 17 | 14.4 | 4:37 | 7:02 |
| 18 | 14.4 | 4:36 | 7:03 |
| 19 | 14.5 | 4:35 | 7:04 |
| 20 | 14.5 | 4:34 | 7:05 |
| 21 | 14.5 | 4:33 | 7:06 |
| 22 | 14.6 | 4:33 | 7:07 |
| 23 | 14.6 | 4:32 | 7:08 |
| 24 | 14.6 | 4:31 | 7:08 |
| 25 | 14.7 | 4:30 | 7:09 |
| 26 | 14.7 | 4:30 | 7:10 |
| 27 | 14.7 | 4:29 | 7:11 |
| 28 | 14.7 | 4:28 | 7:12 |
| 29 | 14.8 | 4:28 | 7:13 |
| 30 | 14.8 | 4:27 | 7:14 |
| 31 | 14.8 | 4:26 | 7:15 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.72 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.62 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.72 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 25 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 26 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 27 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 28 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 29 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.0 | Intense |
Is May a good time to visit Elgin?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Elgin for sightseeing.
What to pack for Elgin in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Elgin sees daytime highs around 69°F and nights near 50°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Elgin in May
The nearest coast averages about 43°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 31 mi away) is warmest in August at about 71°F and coldest in March near 36°F.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 18 to Sep 8 — about 1.7 months when the water holds above 68°F.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°F) | 38 | 36 | 36 | 38 | 43 | 55 | 68 | 71 | 67 | 57 | 47 | 42 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°F) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | Bracing |
| Feb | 36 | Bracing |
| Mar | 36 | Bracing |
| Apr | 38 | Bracing |
| May | 43 | Bracing |
| Jun | 55 | Bracing |
| Jul | 68 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 71 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 67 | Cool |
| Oct | 57 | Bracing |
| Nov | 47 | Bracing |
| Dec | 42 | Bracing |
UV index in Elgin in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Elgin peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Level | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Low |
| Feb | 3 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4 | Moderate |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Low |
Air quality in Elgin in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Elgin is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 9 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | Moderate |
| Feb | 15 | Moderate |
| Mar | 16 | Moderate |
| Apr | 14 | Moderate |
| May | 15 | Moderate |
| Jun | 16 | Moderate |
| Jul | 17 | Moderate |
| Aug | 16 | Moderate |
| Sep | 13 | Moderate |
| Oct | 9 | Good |
| Nov | 10 | Good |
| Dec | 11 | Good |
Where is Elgin?
Elgin sits at 42.0°N, 88.3°W, 745 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is South Elgin, 3.1 mi away.
Topography around Elgin
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Elgin.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Elgin has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 157 ft around an average of 774 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 387 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 892 ft.
The land around Elgin is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and trees (40%) within 2 miles, trees (36%), grassland (28%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 10 miles, and cropland (40%) and trees (20%) within 50 miles.
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
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 Elgin (42.0373°, -88.2812°, elevation 745 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).