La Quinta weather in May

In May, La Quinta sees average daytime highs of 85°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 0.1 in of rain across 0.9 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 82°F in the first days to 89°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 79% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

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

Daytime high
85°
5th warmest
Overnight low
60°
8th coldest
Rainfall
0.1 in
0.9 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
4:49 AM – 6:34 PM
Cloud cover
21%
6th clearest
Wind
5 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
8.12 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

La Quinta is city in Riverside County, California, United States.

Density
438/km²
people per km²
Founded
1982

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 82°F in the first days to 89°F by the end.

A typical May day in La Quinta reaches about 85°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 25°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 73°F and 95°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°100°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18258
28258
38258
48258
58358
68359
78359
88359
98359
108459
118460
128460
138460
148460
158560
168560
178560
188561
198561
208661
218661
228661
238662
248762
258762
268762
278863
288863
298963
308964
318964

How May really feels in La Quinta

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.

La Quinta weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan62° / 43°1.13.6106.6
Feb65° / 45°1.34.110.77.1
Mar71° / 49°0.72.911.78.1
Apr77° / 54°0.31.512.88.8
May85° / 60°0.10.913.77.0
Jun94° / 68°0.00.214.23.8
Jul99° / 75°0.31.9141.9
Aug98° / 75°0.32.213.22.2
Sep92° / 69°0.31.812.24.4
Oct82° / 59°0.31.211.28.0
Nov70° / 48°0.31.510.38.4
Dec61° / 42°1.02.99.86.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 79% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 11%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18713
28713
38713
48713
58713
68713
78713
88713
98713
108812
118812
128812
138812
148812
158812
168911
178911
188911
198911
208911
218911
228911
238911
249010
259010
269010
279010
289010
299010
30919
31919

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

La Quinta gets around 0.1 in of rain over 0.9 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 3% and peaks near 3% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
33
43
53
63
73
83
93
103
113
123
133
143
153
163
173
183
193
203
213
223
233
243
252
262
272
282
292
301
311

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

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

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

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
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 18 min at the start of May to 14 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:03 AM to 4:41 AM, and sunset from 6:22 PM to 6:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:036:22
213.45:026:23
313.45:016:24
413.45:006:24
513.44:596:25
613.54:586:26
713.54:576:27
813.54:566:28
913.64:556:28
1013.64:546:29
1113.64:536:30
1213.64:526:31
1313.74:526:31
1413.74:516:32
1513.74:506:33
1613.74:496:34
1713.84:496:34
1813.84:486:35
1913.84:476:36
2013.84:476:37
2113.94:466:37
2213.94:456:38
2313.94:456:39
2413.94:446:39
2513.94:446:40
2614.04:436:41
2714.04:436:42
2814.04:426:42
2914.04:426:43
3014.04:426:43
3114.04:416:44

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 8.12 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.19 kWh/m² to a high of 8.57 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 8.12 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.8Intense
27.9Intense
37.9Intense
47.9Intense
57.9Intense
67.9Intense
78.0Intense
88.0Intense
98.0Intense
108.0Intense
118.0Intense
128.0Intense
138.1Intense
148.1Intense
158.1Intense
168.1Intense
178.1Intense
188.2Intense
198.2Intense
208.2Intense
218.2Intense
228.2Intense
238.3Intense
248.3Intense
258.3Intense
268.3Intense
278.3Intense
288.3Intense
298.4Intense
308.4Intense
318.4Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit La Quinta?

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

7.0
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
8.9
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit La Quinta for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for La Quinta in May

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

In May, La Quinta sees daytime highs around 85°F and nights near 60°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in La Quinta in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in La Quinta peaks around June 23 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 11Dec 17UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in La Quinta 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 La Quinta is worst in September — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.3× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodSep 1419 µg/m³Dec 155 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb7Good
Mar8Good
Apr8Good
May7Good
Jun14Moderate
Jul10Good
Aug11Good
Sep20Moderate
Oct6Good
Nov5Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is La Quinta?

La Quinta sits at 33.7°N, 116.3°W, 135 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Palm Desert, 5.6 mi away.

Topography around La Quinta

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around La Quinta has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,178 ft around an average of 479 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,713 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 11,650 ft.

The land around La Quinta is covered by bare terrain (60%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 2 miles, bare terrain (39%), shrubs (26%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 10 miles, and bare terrain (47%) and shrubs (28%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
2,178 ft
10 miles
6,713 ft
50 miles
11,650 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Palm Desert 5.6 mi · Indio 6.8 mi · Coachella 8.1 mi · Rancho Mirage 8.1 mi · Cathedral City 12 mi · Palm Springs 18 mi · Desert Hot Springs 24 mi · Yucca Valley 32 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 La Quinta (33.6634°, -116.31°, elevation 135 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).