Hays weather in May

In May, Hays sees average daytime highs of 75°F and overnight lows near 53°F, with 4.2 in of precipitation across 10.9 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 70°F in the first days to 80°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Hays's 12th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hays's year-round climate.

Daytime high
75°
5th warmest
Overnight low
53°
8th coldest
Precipitation
4.2 in
10.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
5:30 AM – 7:37 PM
Cloud cover
53%
12th clearest
Wind
10 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
6.27 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Hays is city in Kansas, United States.

Density
1,001/km²
people per km²
Founded
1867

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 70°F in the first days to 80°F by the end.

A typical May day in Hays reaches about 75°F in the afternoon and slips back to 53°F overnight — a 23°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 62°F and 88°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)
16947
27047
37047
47148
57148
67149
77249
87250
97350
107351
117451
127451
137452
147552
157553
167553
177653
187654
197654
207755
217755
227755
237856
247856
257856
267957
277957
287957
298058
308058
318058

How May really feels in Hays

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.

Hays 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.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan42° / 21°0.73.32.69.60.3
Feb46° / 24°1.04.12.910.51.3
Mar56° / 32°1.76.32.111.74.1
Apr65° / 42°2.68.30.9136.3
May75° / 53°4.210.90.114.16.7
Jun86° / 64°3.39.5014.75.2
Jul91° / 69°3.19.3014.43.9
Aug88° / 66°3.18.9013.54.8
Sep81° / 57°2.06012.37.1
Oct68° / 44°2.16.40.4117.2
Nov55° / 32°1.24.21.19.94.1
Dec43° / 23°1.13.92.79.30.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25347
35446
45644
55644
65743
75941
86040
96040
106040
116040
126040
135941
145941
155743
165644
175644
185446
195347
205248
215248
225149
235149
245149
255050
265149
275149
285248
295347
305446
315545

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Hays gets around 4.2 in of rain and snow over 10.9 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 precipitation averages around 35% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
135
235
335
435
535
634
734
833
932
1032
1132
1232
1332
1432
1533
1634
1735
1835
1936
2036
2137
2237
2338
2438
2538
2638
2738
2837
2937
3036
3135

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 68% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
191810
290820
389920
4881020
5861130
6851230
7831340
8811450
9801550
10781660
11771760
12761770
13731881
14721981
15702091
166920101
176721111
186522121
196323131
206124141
215925151
225725162
235626162
245427172
255228182
265128192
274929203
284729213
294629223
304429243
314329254

Wind in May

Winds average 10 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 mph on the calmest days to 11 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
111light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
2010light breeze
2110light breeze
2210light breeze
2310light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light breeze
2610light breeze
2710light breeze
2810light breeze
2910light breeze
3010light breeze
3110light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:46 AM to 5:20 AM, and sunset from 7:23 PM to 7:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.65:467:23
213.65:457:24
313.75:447:25
413.75:437:26
513.85:427:27
613.85:407:28
713.85:397:28
813.95:387:29
913.95:377:30
1013.95:367:31
1114.05:357:32
1214.05:347:33
1314.05:337:34
1414.15:327:35
1514.15:317:36
1614.15:307:37
1714.15:297:38
1814.25:287:39
1914.25:287:40
2014.25:277:41
2114.35:267:41
2214.35:257:42
2314.35:257:43
2414.35:247:44
2514.45:237:45
2614.45:237:46
2714.45:227:46
2814.45:217:47
2914.55:217:48
3014.55:207:49
3114.55:207:50

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.27 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.36 kWh/m² to a high of 6.92 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.27 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
36.0Bright
46.0Intense
56.0Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.3Intense
136.3Intense
146.3Intense
156.3Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.4Intense
266.4Intense
276.4Intense
286.4Intense
296.5Intense
306.5Intense
316.5Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Hays

In seasonPeak

In May, Hays sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Hays's rainy season runs April–October, 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 Hays?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
5.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Hays for sightseeing.

What to pack for Hays in May

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

In May, Hays sees daytime highs around 75°F and nights near 53°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

UV index in Hays 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 Hays peaks around July 15 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 15UV 10Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7Very high
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7High
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Hays?

Hays sits at 38.9°N, 99.3°W, 2,021 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Great Bend, 47 mi away.

Topography around Hays

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Hays has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 118 ft around an average of 2,021 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 400 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,237 ft.

The land around Hays is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and grassland (31%) within 2 miles, cropland (49%) and grassland (47%) within 10 miles, and grassland (50%) and cropland (48%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
118 ft
10 miles
400 ft
50 miles
1,237 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
May weather nearby: Great Bend 47 mi · Dodge City 86 mi · Salina 93 mi · Hutchinson 94 mi · Garden City 104 mi · Newton 122 mi · Kearney 126 mi · Hastings 128 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 Hays (38.8792°, -99.3268°, elevation 2,021 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).