Hollister weather in May

In May, Hollister sees average daytime highs of 68°F and overnight lows near 49°F, with 0.6 in of rain across 2.8 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 68°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Hollister's 6th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hollister's year-round climate.

Daytime high
68°
6th warmest
Overnight low
49°
7th coldest
Rainfall
0.6 in
2.8 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:03 AM – 7:01 PM
Cloud cover
36%
6th clearest
Wind
5 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
7.29 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.9
out of 10

Hollister is city in and county seat of San Benito County, California, United States.

Density
1,984/km²
people per km²
Founded
1868

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 68°F through the month.

A typical May day in Hollister reaches about 68°F in the afternoon and slips back to 49°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 60°F and 78°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°F warmer than April and about 5°F cooler than June.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16747
26748
36748
46748
56848
66848
76848
86848
96848
106848
116848
126848
136849
146849
156849
166849
176849
186849
196849
206949
216949
226949
236950
246950
256950
266950
277050
287050
297050
307050
317051

Hollister weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan58° / 41°3.48.19.84.6
Feb60° / 42°3.48.710.64.9
Mar62° / 44°2.78.411.75.7
Apr65° / 46°1.2512.96.8
May68° / 49°0.62.813.97.9
Jun73° / 52°0.10.414.59.1
Jul77° / 56°0.00.214.39.4
Aug77° / 56°0.10.313.49.3
Sep76° / 54°0.10.512.39.4
Oct72° / 50°0.72.2118.6
Nov64° / 44°1.54.7106.6
Dec58° / 40°3.07.89.54.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% 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 25%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17030
27228
37228
47228
57228
67228
77327
87327
97327
107327
117327
127327
137426
147426
157426
167525
177525
187525
197525
207525
217624
227624
237624
247723
257723
267723
277822
287921
297921
307921
317921

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Hollister gets around 0.6 in of rain over 2.8 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 9% and peaks near 11% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
111
210
310
410
510
610
710
810
910
1010
1111
1211
1310
1410
1510
1610
1710
189
199
209
219
228
238
247
256
266
275
285
295
305
314

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 96% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1973
2973
3973
4982
5982
6982
7982
8973
9973
10973
11973
12973
13973
14964
15964
16964
17964
18964
19964
20955
21955
22955
23955
24946
25946
26946
27946
28946
29937
30937
31937

Wind in May

Winds average 5 mph in May, the windiest month of the year.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 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 5:18 AM to 4:54 AM, and sunset from 6:48 PM to 7:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:186:48
213.55:176:48
313.65:166:49
413.65:156:50
513.65:146:51
613.75:126:52
713.75:116:53
813.75:106:54
913.85:096:55
1013.85:086:56
1113.85:076:56
1213.85:076:57
1313.95:066:58
1413.95:056:59
1513.95:047:00
1614.05:037:01
1714.05:027:02
1814.05:017:02
1914.05:017:03
2014.15:007:04
2114.14:597:05
2214.14:587:06
2314.14:587:06
2414.24:577:07
2514.24:577:08
2614.24:567:09
2714.24:557:10
2814.34:557:10
2914.34:547:11
3014.34:547:12
3114.34:547:12

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.29 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 8 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.29 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.9Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
47.0Intense
57.1Intense
67.1Intense
77.1Intense
87.1Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.2Intense
127.2Intense
137.2Intense
147.3Intense
157.3Intense
167.3Intense
177.3Intense
187.3Intense
197.3Intense
207.4Intense
217.4Intense
227.4Intense
237.4Intense
247.5Intense
257.5Intense
267.5Intense
277.5Intense
287.6Intense
297.6Intense
307.6Intense
317.6Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Hollister?

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

7.9
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Hollister for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Hollister in May

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

In May, Hollister sees daytime highs around 68°F and nights near 49°F. Pack sun protection.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Hollister in May

The nearest coast averages about 54°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 26 mi away) is warmest in September at about 58°F and coldest in April near 54°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

52°54°56°58°60°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan55Bracing
Feb55Bracing
Mar55Bracing
Apr54Bracing
May54Bracing
Jun55Bracing
Jul57Bracing
Aug58Bracing
Sep58Bracing
Oct58Bracing
Nov56Bracing
Dec55Bracing

UV index in Hollister in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Hollister peaks around June 22 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 11Dec 13UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep7High
Oct5High
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Hollister 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 Hollister is worst in August — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (June, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1920 µg/m³Jun 135 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar8Good
Apr7Good
May6Good
Jun5Good
Jul8Good
Aug22Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Hollister?

Hollister sits at 36.9°N, 121.4°W, 289 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Gilroy, 14 mi away.

Topography around Hollister

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Hollister has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 285 ft around an average of 292 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,409 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,843 ft.

The land around Hollister is covered by artificial surfaces (42%) and cropland (34%) within 2 miles, grassland (55%) and cropland (20%) within 10 miles, and grassland (42%) and trees (26%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
285 ft
10 miles
3,409 ft
50 miles
5,843 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Gilroy 14 mi · Prunedale 16 mi · Salinas 19 mi · Watsonville 20 mi · Morgan Hill 24 mi · Marina 25 mi · Soledad 30 mi · Seaside 30 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 Hollister (36.8524°, -121.4016°, elevation 289 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).