Kearney weather in May

In May, Kearney sees average daytime highs of 71°F and overnight lows near 50°F, with 4.7 in of precipitation across 12.3 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 66°F in the first days to 76°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% 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 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kearney's 12th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kearney's year-round climate.

Daytime high
71°
5th warmest
Overnight low
50°
8th coldest
Precipitation
4.7 in
12.3 wet days
Daylight
14 h 18 min
5:25 AM – 7:40 PM
Cloud cover
58%
12th clearest
Wind
10 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
6.02 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Kearney is city in and county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States.

Density
896/km²
people per km²

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 66°F in the first days to 76°F by the end.

A typical May day in Kearney reaches about 71°F in the afternoon and slips back to 50°F overnight — a 21°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 58°F and 84°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)
16644
26644
36645
46745
56745
66846
76846
86847
96947
106947
117048
127048
137049
147149
157149
167150
177250
187251
197251
207351
217352
227352
237353
247453
257453
267454
277554
287555
297655
307655
317656

How May really feels in Kearney

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.

Kearney 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° / 17°0.73.83.69.40.0
Feb40° / 20°0.84.43.710.40.2
Mar51° / 29°1.96.92.711.72.8
Apr61° / 38°3.39.51.413.15.2
May71° / 50°4.712.30.114.26.3
Jun82° / 61°3.510.1014.96.2
Jul87° / 65°2.79014.65.2
Aug84° / 63°3.29.3013.65.8
Sep77° / 54°2.16.2012.37.6
Oct64° / 41°2.46.70.910.96.3
Nov50° / 29°1.24.229.72.7
Dec38° / 19°1.03.93.49.10.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44951
54951
64852
75050
85050
95050
105050
115149
125149
135149
145149
155149
165149
175149
185149
195050
204951
215050
225050
235050
244951
254951
264951
275050
285149
295149
305248
315347

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Kearney gets around 4.7 in of rain and snow over 12.3 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 40% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1382
2382
3381
4381
5381
6381
7381
8381
9371
10370
11370
12380
13380
14380
15390
16390
17400
18410
19410
20420
21420
22430
23430
24430
25430
26430
27430
28430
29420
30410
31410

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 76% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
195410
294510
393520
492620
592620
691720
790820
888930
9871030
10861130
11851230
12831340
13831340
14811450
15791560
16781660
17761770
18751780
19731890
207119100
217019101
226820111
236720121
246521131
256421141
266222151
276122161
286022171
295723182
305623192
315424202

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 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 42 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 5:42 AM to 5:14 AM, and sunset from 7:25 PM to 7:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:427:25
213.85:417:26
313.85:397:27
413.85:387:28
513.95:377:29
613.95:367:30
713.95:357:31
814.05:337:32
914.05:327:33
1014.15:317:34
1114.15:307:35
1214.15:297:36
1314.25:287:37
1414.25:277:38
1514.25:267:39
1614.35:257:40
1714.35:247:41
1814.35:237:42
1914.45:227:43
2014.45:217:44
2114.45:207:45
2214.45:207:46
2314.55:197:47
2414.55:187:48
2514.55:177:49
2614.65:177:50
2714.65:167:51
2814.65:157:51
2914.65:157:52
3014.65:147:53
3114.75:147:54

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.02 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.14 kWh/m² to a high of 6.84 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.02 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
106.0Bright
116.0Bright
126.0Bright
136.0Intense
146.0Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.3Intense
306.3Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Kearney

In seasonPeak

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

Kearney's rainy season runs April–August, 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 Kearney?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Kearney for sightseeing.

What to pack for Kearney in May

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

In May, Kearney sees daytime highs around 71°F and nights near 50°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

sun protectionrain gear

UV index in Kearney 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 Kearney peaks around July 16 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 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 16UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Kearney?

Kearney sits at 40.7°N, 99.1°W, 2,152 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Hastings, 37 mi away.

Topography around Kearney

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Kearney has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 151 ft around an average of 2,172 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 312 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,171 ft.

The land around Kearney is covered by artificial surfaces (38%) and cropland (22%) within 2 miles, cropland (61%) and grassland (29%) within 10 miles, and cropland (59%) and grassland (38%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
151 ft
10 miles
312 ft
50 miles
1,171 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Hastings 37 mi · Grand Island 42 mi · North Platte 93 mi · Columbus 103 mi · Norfolk 126 mi · Hays 126 mi · Lincoln 127 mi · Fremont 144 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 Kearney (40.6995°, -99.0815°, elevation 2,152 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).