Grand Island weather in May

In May, Grand Island sees average daytime highs of 64°F and overnight lows near 50°F, with 3.4 in of rain across 12.4 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 59°F in the first days to 68°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Grand Island's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Grand Island's year-round climate.

Daytime high
64°
5th warmest
Overnight low
50°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.4 in
12.4 wet days
Daylight
14 h 30 min
4:58 AM – 7:26 PM
Cloud cover
61%
5th clearest
Wind
8 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

Grand Island is town in New York.

Founded
1852

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 68°F by the end.

A typical May day in Grand Island reaches about 64°F in the afternoon and slips back to 50°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 74°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)
15845
25845
35846
45946
55946
66047
76047
86147
96148
106148
116249
126249
136249
146349
156350
166450
176451
186451
196551
206552
216552
226653
236653
246653
256754
266754
276755
286855
296855
306856
316956

How May really feels in Grand Island

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 Island weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 21°2.912.5109.20.0
Feb32° / 21°2.310.27.910.20.0
Mar40° / 28°2.911.45.611.60.2
Apr51° / 39°3.712.21.913.12.5
May64° / 50°3.412.4014.45.2
Jun73° / 61°3.912.3015.16.5
Jul78° / 66°4.012.6014.86.5
Aug76° / 65°3.411013.86.8
Sep70° / 58°3.410.4012.36.5
Oct58° / 47°3.712.60.110.84.0
Nov46° / 37°3.111.83.19.51.3
Dec37° / 28°3.112.87.48.90.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% 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 57%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24357
34357
44357
54357
64258
74258
84258
94357
104258
114258
124159
134258
144258
154357
164357
174258
184258
194456
204456
214456
224555
234555
244654
254654
264654
274654
284654
294555
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Grand Island gets around 3.4 in of rain over 12.4 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 40% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
140
240
340
440
541
641
741
841
942
1042
1142
1242
1341
1441
1541
1641
1740
1840
1939
2039
2139
2238
2338
2438
2538
2638
2738
2838
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 81% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
196310
295410
395410
494510
594510
692620
792620
891720
990730
1089830
1188930
1288930
13861040
14851140
15851140
16831250
17811351
18801361
19781471
20771571
21751582
22731692
237116103
247017103
256917113
266717124
276717124
286518134
296418135
306318145
316218155

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
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light 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 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 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 5:17 AM to 4:46 AM, and sunset from 7:09 PM to 7:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.95:177:09
213.95:167:10
313.95:147:11
414.05:137:12
514.05:127:14
614.15:107:15
714.15:097:16
814.25:087:17
914.25:067:18
1014.25:057:19
1114.35:047:20
1214.35:037:22
1314.45:027:23
1414.45:007:24
1514.44:597:25
1614.54:587:26
1714.54:577:27
1814.54:567:28
1914.64:557:29
2014.64:547:30
2114.64:537:31
2214.74:537:32
2314.74:527:33
2414.74:517:34
2514.84:507:35
2614.84:497:36
2714.84:497:37
2814.84:487:38
2914.94:477:39
3014.94:477:40
3114.94:467:40

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.28 kWh/m² to a high of 6.33 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.93 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
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
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Grand Island?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Grand Island for sightseeing.

What to pack for Grand Island in May

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

In May, Grand Island sees daytime highs around 64°F and nights near 50°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Grand Island in May

The nearest coast averages about 48°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 14 mi away) is warmest in August at about 74°F and coldest in February near 34°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 4 to Sep 20 — about 2.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan37Bracing
Feb34Bracing
Mar34Bracing
Apr38Bracing
May48Bracing
Jun62Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug74Refreshing
Sep69Refreshing
Oct60Cool
Nov50Bracing
Dec43Bracing

UV index in Grand Island 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 Grand Island peaks around June 20 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 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 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7High
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Grand Island?

Grand Island sits at 43.0°N, 79.0°W, 584 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is North Tonawanda, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Grand Island

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Grand Island has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 108 ft around an average of 594 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 459 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,985 ft.

The land around Grand Island is covered by trees (55%) and grassland (34%) within 2 miles, trees (35%), grassland (26%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 10 miles, and water (40%) and trees (31%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
108 ft
10 miles
459 ft
50 miles
1,985 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: North Tonawanda 5.0 mi · Niagara Falls 6.2 mi · Kenmore 6.8 mi · Niagara Falls 6.8 mi · Amherst 9.3 mi · Fort Erie 9.3 mi · Eggertsville 9.3 mi · Buffalo 11 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 Island (43.0331°, -78.9625°, elevation 584 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).