Grants Pass weather in May

In May, Grants Pass sees average daytime highs of 68°F and overnight lows near 45°F, with 2.3 in of rain across 9.3 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 65°F in the first days to 71°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% 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 Grants Pass's 6th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Grants Pass's year-round climate.

Daytime high
68°
5th warmest
Overnight low
45°
8th coldest
Rainfall
2.3 in
9.3 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
4:57 AM – 7:22 PM
Cloud cover
57%
6th clearest
Wind
4 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
6.3 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.5
out of 10

Grants Pass is city in and county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States.

Density
1,235/km²
people per km²
Founded
1865

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 65°F in the first days to 71°F by the end.

A typical May day in Grants Pass reaches about 68°F in the afternoon and slips back to 45°F overnight — a 23°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 82°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 7°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16542
26542
36543
46543
56643
66643
76644
86644
96744
106744
116744
126745
136745
146745
156845
166846
176846
186846
196846
206946
216946
226947
236947
247047
257047
267047
277148
287148
297148
307148
317148

How May really feels in Grants Pass

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.

Grants Pass weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan47° / 32°5.214.249.21.3
Feb51° / 34°4.212.73.510.32.2
Mar55° / 36°4.614.72.811.63.2
Apr60° / 39°3.213.11.513.14.4
May68° / 45°2.39.3014.46.5
Jun75° / 50°1.04.30158.0
Jul85° / 56°0.31.4014.86.9
Aug85° / 55°0.41.6013.76.8
Sep79° / 51°0.73012.38.3
Oct66° / 43°2.17010.86.7
Nov52° / 36°4.5131.69.62.6
Dec45° / 32°6.714.74.48.90.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 53%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14456
24555
34654
44654
54753
64753
74753
84654
94654
104555
114555
124456
134555
144555
154555
164555
174555
184555
194555
204555
214654
224753
234753
244852
254951
265050
275149
285149
295149
305248
315347

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Grants Pass gets around 2.3 in of rain over 9.3 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 30% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
134
234
333
432
532
631
731
831
931
1031
1131
1231
1331
1431
1531
1630
1730
1830
1930
2030
2130
2229
2329
2428
2527
2626
2726
2825
2924
3024
3123

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 98% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22982
23982
24982
25982
26973
27973
28973
29964
30964
31964

Wind in May

Winds average 4 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 4 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

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 5:16 AM to 4:45 AM, and sunset from 7:05 PM to 7:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:167:05
213.95:147:06
313.95:137:08
413.95:127:09
514.05:107:10
614.05:097:11
714.15:087:12
814.15:067:13
914.15:057:14
1014.25:047:15
1114.25:037:16
1214.35:027:18
1314.35:017:19
1414.34:597:20
1514.44:587:21
1614.44:577:22
1714.44:567:23
1814.54:557:24
1914.54:547:25
2014.54:537:26
2114.64:537:27
2214.64:527:28
2314.64:517:29
2414.74:507:30
2514.74:497:31
2614.74:497:32
2714.74:487:33
2814.84:477:34
2914.84:477:34
3014.84:467:35
3114.84:457:36

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.3 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.47 kWh/m² to a high of 7.8 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.3 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Bright
26.0Bright
36.0Intense
46.0Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.4Intense
226.4Intense
236.4Intense
246.5Intense
256.5Intense
266.5Intense
276.6Intense
286.6Intense
296.7Intense
306.7Intense
316.7Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Grants Pass

In seasonPeak

None of Grants Pass's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Grants Pass's rainy season runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Grants Pass?

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

6.5
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
3.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Grants Pass for sightseeing.

What to pack for Grants Pass in May

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

In May, Grants Pass sees daytime highs around 68°F and nights near 45°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

sun protectiona warm layerrain gear

UV index in Grants Pass 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 Grants Pass peaks around July 12 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 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 highHighModerateLowJul 12UV 9Dec 17UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May9Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Grants Pass 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 Grants Pass is worst in September — around 56 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 10.4× the cleanest month (January, 5 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateSep 1452 µg/m³Jan 216 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb7Good
Mar8Good
Apr9Good
May8Good
Jun7Good
Jul15Moderate
Aug32Moderate
Sep56Unhealthy
Oct9Good
Nov14Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Grants Pass?

Grants Pass sits at 42.4°N, 123.3°W, 945 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Central Point, 22 mi away.

Topography around Grants Pass

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Grants Pass has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,247 ft around an average of 1,063 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,776 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,421 ft.

The land around Grants Pass is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and trees (41%) within 2 miles, trees (85%) within 10 miles, and trees (89%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,247 ft
10 miles
3,776 ft
50 miles
7,421 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Central Point 22 mi · Medford 24 mi · Ashland 36 mi · Roseburg 53 mi · Coos Bay 78 mi · Klamath Falls 81 mi · Altamont 83 mi · McKinleyville 111 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 Grants Pass (42.4393°, -123.3307°, elevation 945 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).