Grand Canyon weather in May

In May, Grand Canyon sees average daytime highs of 76°F and overnight lows near 49°F, with 0.4 in of precipitation across 2.2 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 71°F in the first days to 81°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Grand Canyon's 5th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Grand Canyon's year-round climate.

Daytime high
76°
5th warmest
Overnight low
49°
8th coldest
Precipitation
0.4 in
2.2 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
5:28 AM – 7:22 PM
Cloud cover
34%
5th clearest
Wind
7 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
8.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

Grand Canyon is human settlement in Coconino County, Arizona, United States of America.

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 71°F in the first days to 81°F by the end.

A typical May day in Grand Canyon reaches about 76°F in the afternoon and slips back to 49°F overnight — a 27°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 63°F and 86°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 10°F warmer than April and about 11°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17144
27145
37145
47245
57246
67246
77346
87347
97347
107447
117447
127448
137548
147548
157549
167549
177649
187649
197649
207750
217750
227750
237851
247851
257951
267951
278052
288052
298153
308153
318253

How May really feels in Grand Canyon

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.

Grand Canyon weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan46° / 25°1.45.33.49.81.3
Feb50° / 29°1.56.53.810.62.5
Mar58° / 34°1.15.21.911.75.0
Apr65° / 40°0.84.11.212.97.1
May76° / 49°0.42.20.113.98.5
Jun87° / 58°0.10.9014.46.2
Jul90° / 65°0.85.5014.24.4
Aug88° / 63°0.85.1013.45.2
Sep81° / 56°0.83.9012.27.7
Oct69° / 44°0.83.50.311.18.0
Nov57° / 33°0.83.61.210.14.9
Dec46° / 26°1.25.33.69.61.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% 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 21%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17624
27624
37624
47624
57624
67624
77723
87723
97723
107723
117624
127624
137723
147723
157723
167723
177723
187723
197822
207822
217921
227921
238119
248119
258218
268317
278416
288515
298614
308614
318812

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Grand Canyon gets around 0.4 in of rain and snow over 2.2 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 7% and peaks near 9% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
18
28
37
47
57
67
76
86
96
107
117
127
137
147
158
168
178
188
199
209
218
228
238
248
258
268
277
287
296
306
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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 7 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:42 AM to 5:19 AM, and sunset from 7:09 PM to 7:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:427:09
213.55:417:10
313.55:407:11
413.55:397:12
513.65:387:13
613.65:377:13
713.65:367:14
813.75:357:15
913.75:347:16
1013.75:337:17
1113.85:327:18
1213.85:317:19
1313.85:307:19
1413.85:297:20
1513.95:287:21
1613.95:287:22
1713.95:277:23
1814.05:267:24
1914.05:257:24
2014.05:257:25
2114.05:247:26
2214.15:237:27
2314.15:237:28
2414.15:227:28
2514.15:217:29
2614.15:217:30
2714.25:207:31
2814.25:207:31
2914.25:197:32
3014.25:197:33
3114.25:197:33

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 8.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.96 kWh/m² to a high of 8.54 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 8.05 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.7Intense
27.7Intense
37.8Intense
47.8Intense
57.8Intense
67.8Intense
77.9Intense
87.9Intense
97.9Intense
107.9Intense
117.9Intense
128.0Intense
138.0Intense
148.0Intense
158.0Intense
168.0Intense
178.0Intense
188.1Intense
198.1Intense
208.1Intense
218.1Intense
228.2Intense
238.2Intense
248.2Intense
258.2Intense
268.3Intense
278.3Intense
288.3Intense
298.3Intense
308.4Intense
318.4Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Grand Canyon?

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

8.5
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Grand Canyon in May

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

In May, Grand Canyon sees daytime highs around 76°F and nights near 49°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.

sun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Grand Canyon in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Grand Canyon peaks around July 17 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highModerateJul 17UV 12Dec 17UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr6High
May9Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Grand Canyon?

Grand Canyon sits at 36.1°N, 112.1°W, 0 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Flagstaff, 65 mi away.

Topography around Grand Canyon

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Grand Canyon has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,527 ft around an average of 6,434 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,873 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 8,550 ft.

The land around Grand Canyon is covered by trees (71%) within 2 miles, trees (45%) and grassland (21%) within 10 miles, and grassland (42%), trees (23%) and bare terrain (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
3,527 ft
10 miles
5,873 ft
50 miles
8,550 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Flagstaff 65 mi · Sedona 85 mi · Prescott Valley 100 mi · Hurricane 100 mi · Prescott 106 mi · Washington 106 mi · Saint George 108 mi · Mesquite 119 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 Grand Canyon (36.0544°, -112.1393°, elevation 0 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).