Madera weather in May

In May, Madera sees average daytime highs of 83°F and overnight lows near 57°F, with 0.8 in of rain across 2.6 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 80°F in the first days to 86°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% 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 Madera's 6th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Madera's year-round climate.

Daytime high
83°
5th warmest
Overnight low
57°
8th coldest
Rainfall
0.8 in
2.6 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
4:57 AM – 6:56 PM
Cloud cover
32%
6th clearest
Wind
7 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.61 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.4
out of 10

Madera is county seat of Madera County, California, United States.

Density
1,570/km²
people per km²
Founded
1907

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 80°F in the first days to 86°F by the end.

A typical May day in Madera reaches about 83°F in the afternoon and slips back to 57°F overnight — a 25°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 71°F and 94°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 9°F warmer than April and about 8°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°100°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17955
28055
38055
48055
58055
68056
78156
88156
98156
108156
118256
128257
138257
148257
158257
168257
178358
188358
198358
208358
218358
228458
238459
248459
258559
268560
278560
288660
298660
308660
318761

How May really feels in Madera

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.

Madera weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan59° / 40°3.87.59.84.8
Feb62° / 43°3.4810.65.7
Mar68° / 47°3.37.511.76.8
Apr74° / 51°1.44.512.97.9
May83° / 57°0.82.613.97.4
Jun91° / 64°0.20.714.54.8
Jul97° / 69°0.10.314.32.8
Aug96° / 68°0.00.213.43.2
Sep90° / 63°0.10.412.35.4
Oct79° / 54°0.92.2118.3
Nov67° / 45°1.64.4107.2
Dec58° / 40°3.179.54.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% 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 23%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17228
27327
37327
47426
57426
67426
77426
87327
97327
107327
117426
127525
137525
147624
157624
167624
177723
187723
197822
207921
217921
227921
238020
248020
258218
268218
278218
288218
298218
308218
318218

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Madera gets around 0.8 in of rain over 2.6 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 8% and peaks near 10% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
110
29
39
49
59
69
79
89
99
109
119
129
139
149
159
168
178
188
198
208
218
228
238
247
257
267
277
287
297
306
316

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 94% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1964
2964
3964
4964
5964
6964
7964
8964
9964
10964
11964
12955
13955
14955
15955
16955
17955
18955
19955
20946
21946
22946
23937
24937
25937
26937
27937
28928
29928
30928
31928

Wind in May

Winds average 7 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

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 5:13 AM to 4:48 AM, and sunset from 6:42 PM to 7:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:136:42
213.55:116:43
313.65:106:44
413.65:096:45
513.65:086:46
613.75:076:47
713.75:066:48
813.75:056:49
913.85:046:49
1013.85:036:50
1113.85:026:51
1213.95:016:52
1313.95:006:53
1413.94:596:54
1513.94:586:55
1614.04:576:56
1714.04:576:56
1814.04:566:57
1914.14:556:58
2014.14:546:59
2114.14:547:00
2214.14:537:01
2314.24:527:01
2414.24:527:02
2514.24:517:03
2614.24:507:04
2714.24:507:04
2814.34:497:05
2914.34:497:06
3014.34:487:07
3114.34:487:07

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.61 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.44 kWh/m² to a high of 8.28 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.61 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.2Intense
27.2Intense
37.3Intense
47.3Intense
57.3Intense
67.3Intense
77.4Intense
87.4Intense
97.4Intense
107.5Intense
117.5Intense
127.5Intense
137.5Intense
147.6Intense
157.6Intense
167.6Intense
177.6Intense
187.7Intense
197.7Intense
207.7Intense
217.7Intense
227.8Intense
237.8Intense
247.8Intense
257.8Intense
267.9Intense
277.9Intense
287.9Intense
297.9Intense
308.0Intense
318.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Madera?

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

7.4
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
8.4
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Madera in May

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

In May, Madera sees daytime highs around 83°F and nights near 57°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Madera 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 Madera peaks around June 20 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 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 highVery highHighModerateJun 20UV 10Dec 17UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Madera 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 Madera is worst in September — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.8× the cleanest month (June, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateSep 1828 µg/m³Jun 108 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb16Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr12Good
May9Good
Jun7Good
Jul23Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep28Moderate
Oct24Moderate
Nov16Moderate
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Madera?

Madera sits at 37.0°N, 120.1°W, 272 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Chowchilla, 16 mi away.

Topography around Madera

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Madera has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 69 ft around an average of 269 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 220 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9,229 ft.

The land around Madera is covered by artificial surfaces (60%) within 2 miles, trees (35%), cropland (29%) and grassland (27%) within 10 miles, and grassland (40%), trees (30%) and cropland (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
69 ft
10 miles
220 ft
50 miles
9,229 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Chowchilla 16 mi · Fresno 22 mi · Clovis 22 mi · Sanger 33 mi · Merced 33 mi · Selma 37 mi · Parlier 38 mi · Atwater 40 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 Madera (36.9613°, -120.0607°, elevation 272 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).