Marquette weather in May

In May, Marquette sees average daytime highs of 58°F and overnight lows near 41°F, with 3.0 in of precipitation across 11.1 wet days and about 14.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 53°F in the first days to 63°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Marquette's 5th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Marquette's year-round climate.

Daytime high
58°
5th warmest
Overnight low
41°
8th coldest
Precipitation
3.0 in
11.1 wet days
Daylight
14 h 48 min
5:22 AM – 8:10 PM
Cloud cover
62%
5th clearest
Wind
8 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.98 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

Marquette is city in the U.S. state of Michigan and County seat of Marquette County, Michigan.

Density
421/km²
people per km²
Founded
1849

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 53°F in the first days to 63°F by the end.

A typical May day in Marquette reaches about 58°F in the afternoon and slips back to 41°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 45°F and 72°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 13°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15236
25337
35337
45337
55438
65438
75538
85539
95539
105639
115640
125640
135740
145741
155841
165841
175842
185942
195942
206043
216043
226043
236144
246144
256244
266245
276245
286245
296346
306346
316346

How May really feels in Marquette

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 5 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
5
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Marquette weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 10°1.58.710.78.80.0
Feb24° / 10°1.26.47.3100.0
Mar34° / 19°1.98.8711.60.0
Apr45° / 30°2.710.65.413.31.1
May58° / 41°3.011.10.714.84.2
Jun68° / 52°3.211015.66.1
Jul74° / 58°3.211.4015.26.8
Aug73° / 57°3.110.70146.7
Sep66° / 50°3.511.6012.45.7
Oct52° / 40°3.513.61.510.72.6
Nov39° / 29°2.310.67.79.20.2
Dec29° / 19°1.89.811.38.40.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
23961
33961
43961
53862
63961
73961
83961
94060
103961
113961
123961
133961
144060
154159
164159
174159
184357
194357
204357
214357
224357
234456
244555
254555
264555
274555
284555
294654
304654
314555

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Marquette gets around 3.0 in of rain and snow over 11.1 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 35% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1338
2338
3337
4336
5336
6345
7345
8344
9344
10344
11354
12353
13353
14353
15353
16362
17362
18362
19362
20361
21361
22361
23361
24360
25360
26360
27360
28360
29360
30360
31360

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 (%)Humid (%)
110000
210000
310000
410000
510000
610000
710000
89910
99910
109910
119910
129910
139820
149721
159631
169631
179541
189541
199352
209352
219262
229073
239073
248983
258983
268884
278794
288794
298794
308794
3186104

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
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
277light breeze
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 72 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:43 AM to 5:08 AM, and sunset from 7:50 PM to 8:26 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.15:437:50
214.25:427:51
314.25:407:53
414.35:397:54
514.35:377:56
614.45:367:57
714.45:347:58
814.45:337:59
914.55:318:01
1014.55:308:02
1114.65:288:03
1214.65:278:05
1314.75:268:06
1414.75:248:07
1514.85:238:08
1614.85:228:10
1714.85:218:11
1814.95:208:12
1914.95:188:13
2015.05:178:14
2115.05:168:16
2215.05:158:17
2315.15:148:18
2415.15:138:19
2515.15:128:20
2615.25:128:21
2715.25:118:22
2815.25:108:23
2915.35:098:24
3015.35:088:25
3115.35:088:26

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.98 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.14 kWh/m² to a high of 6.39 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.98 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.9Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
166.0Bright
176.0Bright
186.0Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.2Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.3Intense
306.3Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Marquette?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
0.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Marquette for sightseeing.

What to pack for Marquette in May

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

In May, Marquette sees daytime highs around 58°F and nights near 41°F. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Marquette in May

The nearest coast averages about 38°F in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 62°F and coldest in March near 34°F.

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

30°40°50°60°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan36Bracing
Feb35Bracing
Mar34Bracing
Apr35Bracing
May38Bracing
Jun43Bracing
Jul54Bracing
Aug62Cool
Sep59Cool
Oct51Bracing
Nov44Bracing
Dec40Bracing

UV index in Marquette 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 Marquette peaks around June 17 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 17UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun8Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug7High
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Marquette?

Marquette sits at 46.5°N, 87.4°W, 666 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mackinac Island, 141 mi away.

Topography around Marquette

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Marquette has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 410 ft around an average of 686 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,060 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,667 ft.

The land around Marquette is covered by water (38%), trees (32%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 2 miles, trees (48%) and water (44%) within 10 miles, and trees (56%) and water (41%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
410 ft
10 miles
1,060 ft
50 miles
1,667 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Mackinac Island 141 mi · Howard 142 mi · Green Bay 143 mi · Sault Ste. Marie 145 mi · Sault Ste. Marie 145 mi · Ashwaubenon 146 mi · Bellevue 147 mi · De Pere 149 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 Marquette (46.5435°, -87.3954°, elevation 666 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).