Indianapolis weather in May

In May, Indianapolis sees average daytime highs of 72°F and overnight lows near 55°F, with 4.8 in of rain across 13.4 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 68°F in the first days to 76°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Indianapolis's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Indianapolis's year-round climate.

Daytime high
72°
5th warmest
Overnight low
55°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.8 in
13.4 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:35 AM – 7:46 PM
Cloud cover
65%
7th clearest
Wind
8 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.71 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Indianapolis is capital city of the U.S. state of Indiana and seat of Marion County.

Density
931/km²
people per km²
Founded
1821

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 68°F in the first days to 76°F by the end.

A typical May day in Indianapolis reaches about 72°F in the afternoon and slips back to 55°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 60°F and 84°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 9°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16749
26850
36850
46951
56951
66951
77052
87052
97053
107153
117153
127153
137154
147254
157254
167255
177355
187355
197356
207356
217456
227457
237457
247557
257558
267558
277658
287659
297659
307759
317760

How May really feels in Indianapolis

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.

Indianapolis 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
Jan36° / 22°3.29.24.29.50.0
Feb40° / 25°2.68.5410.40.2
Mar51° / 33°3.811.1211.72.4
Apr63° / 44°4.7120.4135.1
May72° / 55°4.813.4014.26.1
Jun81° / 64°4.211.8014.86.0
Jul84° / 67°3.611.5014.55.4
Aug83° / 65°2.89013.66.2
Sep77° / 57°2.87.6012.37.2
Oct64° / 46°3.38.50.110.96.0
Nov51° / 35°3.48.80.89.82.5
Dec40° / 27°3.19.83.59.20.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 62%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13763
23664
33664
43763
53763
63763
73763
83763
93763
103763
113763
123862
133862
143763
153862
163862
173862
183862
193862
203862
213961
223862
233961
243961
254060
264060
274060
284159
294060
304159
314258

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Indianapolis gets around 4.8 in of rain over 13.4 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 43% and peaks near 44% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
142
242
343
443
543
643
743
843
943
1043
1143
1243
1343
1443
1543
1643
1743
1843
1943
2043
2143
2244
2344
2444
2544
2644
2744
2843
2943
3043
3143

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 59% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 8% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
18013610
27814710
37714810
47515910
573151020
673151020
770161130
869161230
968161240
1066171340
1164171450
1263171460
1362171560
1460171670
1560171670
1658171780
1758171780
1856171890
1955171890
20521819101
21511820101
22501820111
23491820121
24471921121
25461921131
26451921131
27441922141
28432022141
29422022151
30412022151
31412022162

Wind in May

Winds average 8 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light 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
207light breeze
217light breeze
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 36 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 5:52 AM to 5:25 AM, and sunset from 7:32 PM to 7:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:527:32
213.75:517:33
313.75:507:34
413.85:487:35
513.85:477:36
613.85:467:37
713.95:457:38
813.95:447:39
914.05:427:40
1014.05:417:41
1114.05:407:42
1214.15:397:43
1314.15:387:44
1414.15:377:45
1514.25:367:45
1614.25:357:46
1714.25:347:47
1814.25:347:48
1914.35:337:49
2014.35:327:50
2114.35:317:51
2214.45:307:52
2314.45:307:53
2414.45:297:54
2514.45:287:55
2614.55:277:55
2714.55:277:56
2814.55:267:57
2914.55:267:58
3014.65:257:59
3114.65:257:59

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.71 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.7 kWh/m² to a high of 6.26 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.71 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.9Bright
235.9Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
276.0Bright
286.0Bright
296.0Bright
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Indianapolis?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Indianapolis for sightseeing.

What to pack for Indianapolis in May

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

In May, Indianapolis sees daytime highs around 72°F and nights near 55°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Indianapolis in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Indianapolis peaks around June 23 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodJul 1416 µg/m³Oct 218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr12Good
May14Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Indianapolis?

Indianapolis sits at 39.8°N, 86.2°W, 715 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Broad Ripple, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Indianapolis

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Indianapolis has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 128 ft around an average of 719 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 515 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 761 ft.

The land around Indianapolis is covered by artificial surfaces (71%) within 2 miles, trees (43%), artificial surfaces (30%) and grassland (20%) within 10 miles, and cropland (58%) and trees (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
128 ft
10 miles
515 ft
50 miles
761 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Broad Ripple 6.8 mi · Lawrence 8.7 mi · Greenwood 11 mi · Fairfield Heights 12 mi · Avon 13 mi · Plainfield 14 mi · Brownsburg 14 mi · Zionsville 14 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 Indianapolis (39.7684°, -86.158°, elevation 715 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).