Holland weather in May

In May, Holland sees average daytime highs of 64°F and overnight lows near 49°F, with 4.3 in of rain across 12.1 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 59°F in the first days to 69°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 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Holland's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Holland's year-round climate.

Daytime high
64°
5th warmest
Overnight low
49°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.3 in
12.1 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
5:28 AM – 7:54 PM
Cloud cover
60%
5th clearest
Wind
9 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.06 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.3
out of 10

Holland is city in Ottawa and Allegan counties in Michigan, United States.

Density
751/km²
people per km²
Founded
1847

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 69°F by the end.

A typical May day in Holland reaches about 64°F in the afternoon and slips back to 49°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 75°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 11°F warmer than April and about 11°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15844
25944
35945
45945
56046
66046
76046
86147
96147
106247
116247
126248
136348
146349
156349
166449
176450
186450
196550
206551
216551
226652
236652
246753
256753
266753
276854
286854
296955
306955
316955

How May really feels in Holland

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.

Holland 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
Jan31° / 22°2.812.511.49.20.0
Feb32° / 21°2.18.77.310.30.0
Mar41° / 28°2.59.8411.60.4
Apr53° / 39°4.012.21.613.12.8
May64° / 49°4.312.1014.45.3
Jun74° / 61°3.810.8015.16.7
Jul79° / 65°4.011014.86.7
Aug77° / 64°3.910.6013.76.9
Sep71° / 57°3.310012.36.7
Oct59° / 46°3.711.70.210.84.3
Nov46° / 36°3.011.43.39.61.2
Dec36° / 28°2.712.39.58.90.0

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 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24258
34258
44357
54357
64357
74357
84357
94357
104456
114456
124555
134555
144555
154654
164654
174654
184555
194654
204654
214654
224654
234654
244654
254654
264654
274753
284654
294753
304654
314852

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Holland gets around 4.3 in of rain over 12.1 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 39% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
239
339
440
540
640
740
840
939
1039
1139
1239
1340
1440
1540
1640
1739
1839
1939
2039
2138
2238
2338
2438
2538
2638
2738
2838
2938
3038
3138

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 (%)
195410
295410
394510
493520
593520
692620
791630
890730
990730
1089740
1188840
1288840
1386950
1486950
15851050
16831061
17831061
18811171
19811171
20791182
21771292
227512103
237413103
247313113
257014124
266915124
276815134
286616135
296417145
306318145
316019156

Wind in May

Winds average 9 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
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light 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 48 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 66 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:46 AM to 5:15 AM, and sunset from 7:37 PM to 8:08 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:467:37
213.95:457:38
313.95:437:39
414.05:427:40
514.05:417:42
614.15:397:43
714.15:387:44
814.15:377:45
914.25:367:46
1014.25:347:47
1114.35:337:48
1214.35:327:49
1314.35:317:51
1414.45:307:52
1514.45:297:53
1614.45:287:54
1714.55:277:55
1814.55:267:56
1914.55:257:57
2014.65:247:58
2114.65:237:59
2214.65:228:00
2314.75:218:01
2414.75:208:02
2514.75:198:03
2614.85:198:04
2714.85:188:05
2814.85:178:06
2914.85:178:07
3014.95:168:07
3114.95:158:08

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.06 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.3 kWh/m² to a high of 6.67 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.06 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
125.9Bright
136.0Bright
146.0Intense
156.0Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.4Intense
296.4Intense
306.4Intense
316.4Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Holland?

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

5.3
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Holland for sightseeing.

What to pack for Holland in May

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

In May, Holland sees daytime highs around 64°F and nights near 49°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

sun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Holland in May

The nearest coast averages about 44°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 15 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 20 to Sep 8 — about 1.7 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan39Bracing
Feb37Bracing
Mar36Bracing
Apr38Bracing
May44Bracing
Jun56Bracing
Jul68Cool
Aug71Refreshing
Sep67Cool
Oct58Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec43Bracing

UV index in Holland 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 Holland peaks around June 21 at about 9 (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 21UV 9Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Holland 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 Holland is worst in June — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 2216 µg/m³Nov 137 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Holland?

Holland sits at 42.8°N, 86.1°W, 610 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Allendale, 15 mi away.

Topography around Holland

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Holland has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 144 ft around an average of 620 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 262 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 600 ft.

The land around Holland is covered by artificial surfaces (38%) and trees (37%) within 2 miles, trees (29%), cropland (27%) and water (20%) within 10 miles, and water (39%) and trees (35%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
144 ft
10 miles
262 ft
50 miles
600 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Allendale 15 mi · Jenison 18 mi · Grandville 19 mi · Wyoming 22 mi · Walker 23 mi · Kentwood 24 mi · Grand Rapids 25 mi · Norton Shores 27 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 Holland (42.7875°, -86.1089°, elevation 610 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).